ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Under Istanbul’s old Galata Bridge, there’s a nondescript concrete landing that juts out into the waters of the Golden Horn.
A couple wearing their wedding outfits pose during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A couple wearing their wedding outfits pose during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
By day, it’s easy to overlook. But as evening nears, it transforms into one of the city’s most sought-after stages for romance.
Starting in spring and continuing through summer, soon-to-be wed and newlywed couples flock to this unassuming spot in Eminonu district to immortalize their nuptials in radiant, and often highly choreographed, sunset photo shoots.
A couple wearing their wedding outfits pose during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A couple wearing their wedding outfits walk along Galata bridge during a photo session, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A couple wearing their wedding outfits arrive for a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, July 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Mucahit Uzun wearing his wedding suit poses during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Sude Keles, top, and her husband Suat Keles pose during a photo session at Galata bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A couple wearing their wedding outfits pose during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
The spot is so popular, a dozen brides and grooms can often be seen posing side by side, each basking in a sliver of the sunset glow. At peak hours, a traffic jam of couples forms on the stairs leading to the waterside overlook, waiting for their turn.
Huri Kubra Uzun, right, and her husband Mucahid Uzun wearing their wedding outfits look at just taken photos during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Damla Avci, right, and her husband Mustafa Ertan pose during a photo session at Galata bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A couple wearing their wedding outfits pose during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
“There’s no place in Istanbul we haven’t visited, we both love it,” said 22-year-old Elif Yuksel, standing next to her fiance, Semih Aydin. “That’s why we wanted to be photographed somewhere we could see every corner of Istanbul.”
The setting sun casts its light just right during what’s known as “golden hour,” a coveted time for photographers and videographers who frame their shots against the backdrop of the medieval Galata Tower and the Ottoman imperial mosque, Suleymaniye, the city’s second largest.
Halil Ibrahim Ucucu, right, and his wife Hasret Yilmaz Ucucu wearing their wedding outfits pose for a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Couples wearing their wedding outfits pose during a photo session at Galata bridge, in Istanbul, Turkey, Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
It’s a fitting setting for newlyweds like Hasret Yilmaz Ucucu and her husband, Halil Ibrahim Ucucu, who had tied the knot shortly before their shoot.
“I went to the hairdresser and got ready there. Then my husband came and picked me up and we went to our wedding ceremony. Afterward (our photographer) brought us here with great excitement,” said the 24-year-old bride.
Sude Keles, left, and her husband Suat Keles pose during a photo session at Galata bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
Damla Avci, right, and her husband Mustafa Ertan pose during a photo session at Galata bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
A couple wearing their wedding outfits walk along Galata bridge during a photo session, in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)
For many couples, the snapshots are more than keepsakes — they symbolize moments in time when love, tradition and the centuries-old city’s enduring splendor intertwine.
“I’ve been to London, I’ve been to Barcelona. There’s no place like Istanbul,” said Semih Aydin, who was taking engagement pictures with his soon-to-be wife. “Let’s take beautiful photos, let’s make beautiful memories to show our children in the future.’”
Sude Keles, left, and her husband Suat Keles pose during a photo session at Galata bridge in Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, July 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)