# Istanbul (TR IST)

**UN/LOCODE:** TR IST  
**Country:** Turkey  
**Water Body:** Sea of Marmara; Mediterranean Sea; North Atlantic Ocean  
**Harbor Size:** Large  
**Harbor Type:** Canal or Lake  
**GPS:** 41.0167, 28.9667

Unlike a single unified box terminal, the freight role around Istanbul is split. The region's container volume runs through Ambarli, west of the city, where Marport (the main terminal, about 2.3 million TEU of capacity), Kumport and Mardasport together offer more than 3 million TEU. On the Bosphorus itself the city quays now play specialised parts: Haydarpasa on the Asian shore handles general cargo, RoRo and limited container traffic across 18 berths, while the old passenger pier has been rebuilt as the Galataport cruise and waterfront district. Straddling the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, Istanbul anchors Turkish trade and transit flows. In practice, forwarders book containers via Ambarli and route project or RoRo cargo through Haydarpasa. Motorways, rail and links toward Anatolia open up the hinterland, with customs clearing at the respective terminals and bonded warehouses. Ambarli moved about 3 million TEU in 2024, some 5% down on the year as MSC's deep-water Asyaport at Tekirdag drew off cargo. For pure container moves, the nearest alternatives are Asyaport/Tekirdag and the Gulf of Izmit ports such as Gebze, Gemlik and Kocaeli.

## Transit Times & Routes

- [Istanbul → Shanghai](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/istanbul-shanghai)
- [Istanbul → Shenzhen](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/istanbul-shenzhen)
- [Istanbul → Guangzhou](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/istanbul-guangzhou)
- [Istanbul → Hong Kong](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/istanbul-hong-kong)
- [Istanbul → Tokyo](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/istanbul-tokyo)
- [Istanbul → Busan](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/transit-time/istanbul-busan)

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*Freight Academy — Seaport Profile: [https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/istanbul-port-tr-ist](https://www.freight-academy.com/en/information/seaports/istanbul-port-tr-ist)*

*Markdown mirror: [https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/istanbul-port-tr-ist](https://www.freight-academy.com/api/md/seaports/en/istanbul-port-tr-ist)*

*LLM-Summary (JSON): https://www.freight-academy.com/api/v1/seaports/istanbul-port-tr-ist/llm-summary?lang=en*