Haliç Shipyard marks 570 years, revitalizing its operations and renovating 527 ships in six years, blending history with modern technology.
On December 12, 2025, at 10:06 AM, the Haliç Shipyard, one of Istanbul's most historic industrial legacies, celebrated its 570th anniversary with a special ceremony. Founded in 1455 during the reign of Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the shipyard has served the Ottoman and Republic navies for centuries. In recent years, it has been revitalized through comprehensive renovation efforts by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.
Once on the brink of closure in 2019, the shipyard now operates at full capacity. According to a statement from the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB), by 2019, the shipyard was significantly idle, and its production capacity had nearly come to a halt. Through a transformation program conducted in collaboration with Şehir Hatları A.Ş., the shipyard was restructured from its technical infrastructure to personnel arrangements.
As a result of the investments made:
- The production and maintenance capacity increased from zero to 67.
- A total of 527 vessels underwent maintenance, repair, and renewal works over six years.
- The surroundings of the shipyard were organized as both a tourist and cultural area.
A portion of the Haliç Shipyard was transformed into a cultural space under the roof of Istanbul Art, the city’s first public contemporary art museum. Thus, the shipyard has become a center for both maritime production and culture.
During the ceremony, İBB Deputy Mayor Nuri Aslan emphasized that the revitalization of the Haliç Shipyard has significantly contributed to Istanbul's maritime transportation, stating that the shipyard has transformed into a "maritime base that merges the heritage of the past with the technology of the future."
Şehir Hatları General Manager Güçlü Şeneler remarked that the transformation the shipyard underwent in six years is an exemplary success story among public shipyards in Turkey. Additionally, it was announced that for the first time in the shipyard's history, a female manager has taken office, highlighting that the institution's modernization efforts extend beyond technical renewal.
The goal of Haliç Shipyard is to become the technical center of the region. In the new era, sustainable production, environmentally friendly maintenance-repair processes, and increasing domestic production capacity will be among the priority topics at the shipyard. The management aims to further increase the annual maintenance capacity and provide broader services to regional maritime activities.
Source: www.denizhaber.com