Construction of the port was commenced by the Anatolian Railway on April 20, 1899. The company operated the port until the newly established Turkish Republic purchased it on May 24, 1924. On May 31, 1927, the port's administration was handed over to the Turkish State Railways, which is controlled by the Ministry of Public Works and Settlement. On February 5, 1953, an extension project for the Port of Haydarpaşa was started. The first part of the extension was completed in 1954 and the remainder in 1967.
Port facilities
The Port has 21 berths alongside two large piers. The berths are specialized for particular port industries, with one for motor boat servicing at 150 m in length, two for dry bulk cargo, 8 large-size berths for general cargo, 3 mid-size general cargo berths, two ro-ro terminals and, finally, 5 container terminals. The depth of water at the quays varies between 5 and 10 m. The vessels in the port are protected by two breakwaters from all kinds of effects caused by the weather and sea. Sea crafts of the port comprise 3 tugboats up to 2500 HP and 2 mooring watercrafts.
Container terminal
Total container handling capacity of the five container terminals is 1,700 vessels a year. Operations are carried out by 4 quayside gantry cranes of 40 tons' capacity, 18 rubber-tired gantry cranes, 9 reach stackers and 8 empty container forklifts. Nine shore and yard cranes, 6 mobile cranes, 8 standard and 30 small-masted forklifts are also available. Another facility available at the terminal is the provision of reefer facilities for refrigerated containers. The space for container terminal is nearly 100.000 m² with a holding capacity of. The annual handling capacity of the Port is. A container freight station of 3,600 m² is available behind the container quay. In addition to the open storage area of 313,000 m² and covered area of 21,000 m², there exists a container land terminal outside the port in Göztepe for stacking the empty containers. It covers an area of 55,000 m² with a holding capacity of TEU. Container loading and unloading, and custom clearance are made in the terminal at the port.
Ro-ro terminal
The ro-ro terminal can accommodate 360 vessels per year, and handle 410,000 tons of cargo, 65,000 trucks and 60,000 cars a year. There is a bi-weekly ro-pax cargo and passenger ferry service between the ports Haydarpaşa and Chornomorsk, Ukraine..
At the port, 1,134 general cargo ships can be serviced a year. The floating crafts comprise one floating crane of 250 tons' capacity, 17 shore and yard cranes, 17 mobile cranes, 67 general cargo forklifts, one loader, 6 tractors, 25 trailers, 10 trailers and two weigh-bridges of 100 tons' capacity.
Bulk handling facilities
Two berths serve the dry bulk traffic of up to 79 vessels a year. A grain silo of 34,000 tons' capacity belonging to the Turkish Grain Board is available and has a conveyor connection with the quay.
The rail ferry terminal and ferries are operated between Sirkeci and Haydarpaşa, the two sides of Bosphorus. Each of the three rail ferries with 480 tons capacity can transfer 14 rail carriages.
Port navigation
is compulsory for berthing and unberthing and anchoring. The service is provided by the Turkish Maritime Administration round the clock. Pilots meet vessels west of a line passing through the light on the breakwater of KumkapıFishing Boat Harbour on the European side of Marmara Sea. Towage is not necessary for vessels up to 1500 gt. A mooring boat is compulsory and arranged by pilot. The service is provided by the Port Authority round the clock.
Future project
A tourism project is envisaged to evaluate land and achieve urban transformation, which came up 2003, foresees that Haydarpaşa will contribute to economic, cultural and social life through the station, port and hinterland. Haydarpaşa will be left inactive after the completion of the Marmaray Project and removal of the port to the Port of Ambarlı, the second-biggest port of Istanbul.
