Tünel... the SECOND OLDEST SUBWAY in the WORLD

The constitution story of Tünel, the second oldest subway in the world after London, begins with the initiative of French engineer Eugene Henri Gavand.

Gavand observes people constantly moving between Galata, the center of commerce and banking, and Pera, where the heart of social life beats, and thinks of an alternative route to Yüksekkaldırım Slope and Galipdede Street.

He appears before the Ottoman Sultan Abdülaziz Han for an elevator-type railway project that would connect these two centers, and on June 10, 1869, he receives the tunnel construction concession.

The Tünel, whose operating period is determined as 42 years, is built with a build-operate-transfer model.

Tünel construction work begins on June 30, 1871. In July 1872, British national company "The Metropolitan Railway Of Constantinople From Galata to Pera" was registered.In the Tunnel, the construction of which was completed on December 05, 1874, human transportation is started in return for a fee after the animal transport trial runs.

Tunnel is  put into service on January 17, 1875 with a magnificent ceremony attended by a group of distinguished local and foreign guests.

The energy of the tunnel facilities, the initial construction cost of which was 180 thousand Ottoman Liras, is provided by two 150 horsepower steam engines. When the Tünel starts the voyage, the wagons that are open on both sides are illuminated with gas lamps since there is no electricity.When the transition to electric trams started in 1910, the company passed to Ottoman citizenship in 1911 and took the title of "Tahtel'arz Railway in the Brain of Galata and Beyoğlu from the Dersaadet Mulhakat."Later, the Tünel, which was purchased by the state for 175 thousand Turkish liras and nationalized on March 1, 1939, was transferred to the General Directorate of Istanbul Electric Tram and Tunnel Establishments (IETT), which was established on June 16, 1939 with the law numbered 3645.In the Second World War;  The Tünel , which is separated from its passengers for three and a half months because some of its materials cannot be purchased, is completely renewed and electrified by the French Eletctro Enterprise company with a cost of 33 million Lira.

The electrification works of Tünel starts in 1968 and it is opened with a ceremony in its new form on November 2, 1971.

With its 350 horsepower electrical system, the Tunnel overcomes the distance of 573 meters in 90 seconds and carries 170 people at a time with its two 16 meters long wagons.The Tünel, which is indispensable for Istanbulites during the Ottoman period and the first years of the Republic, connects Karaköy and Beyoğlu with silent steps every day and offers its passengers the shortest, most enjoyable and sincere journey.

Tünel's working hours:

Weekdays and Saturday: 07:00 - 22:45

Sunday: 07:30 - 22:45

The voyage interval is an average of 5 minutes.