PHOTO ESSAY: Istanbul's ferries, a lifeline connecting continents and stories

Associated Press (AP) — Every day, ferries of all shapes and sizes glide across the waters of Istanbul, their wakes intertwining to form intricate lattices of churning foam. The passenger boats are more than just a means of transportation — they’re entrenched in the historic city’s identity, as memorable as its skyline and as constant as the cries of seagulls.

They carry not just people, but also their stories.

Forty million commuters, tourists, vendors and other travelers ride the Istanbul Metropolitan City Lines every year, according to official figures. Trips can range from as little as 10 minutes to several hours, depending on the destination.

For some passengers, the vessels are a scenic commute to work, at times turning into temporary offices where phones ring, laptops hum and voices compete to be heard over the sound of roaring engines.

For others, the boats provide a floating refuge, a brief escape from the grind of daily life in a swarming city of 16 million people.

“I feel that when you travel by ferry… you replenish energy that has been diminished,” said Ali Akgun, who has lived in Istanbul for nearly 50 years. “I love the sea.”

The ferries travel on dozens of routes across the Sea of Marmara, a wholly Turkish body of water, as well as the Bosporus, the strait that both divides and bridges Europe and Asia.

Visiting Istanbul for the first time, Leila Bihi, from Morocco, experienced her first ferry ride between continents.

“It’s already quite special to go from one bank of the (Bosporus) to the other,” she said. “Looking at monuments that are modern and ancient during the call to prayer. … It’s a bit reminiscent of the whole city, its history, its mystical side.”

For centuries the Ottoman Empire, modern Turkey’s predecessor, used maritime routes for not only travel, but also military expeditions. Its capital, Constantinople, was a major center of trade due to its strategic location flanked by critical waterways.

This enduring bond with the sea continues in Istanbul, where water has always been more than a scenic backdrop — it’s embedded in the fabric of the centuries-old city, shaping its character and the lives of its residents.

“I think it’s the most beautiful stage in the world,” said Ramin Kargozari, a musician who makes a living playing his guitar while riding ferries. “Making music on the water, on a ferry, is great.”

With the Suleymaniye Mosque in the background, passengers, seen through a window, board a ferry before departing from the Karakoy terminal in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman drinks tea on a ferry crossing the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman peers out from a ferry departing Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A ferry, seen through a window, sails along the Bosphorus bound for the Karakoy terminal in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A worker throws a rope to another one as a ferry docks at the Karakoy terminal on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Locals and tourists take a ferry bound for the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A musician performs for money on a ferry crossing the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Commuters arrive at the Kadikoy ferry terminal on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A woman takes photos of kittens while waiting to board a boat at the Karakoy ferry terminal in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A man sleeps on a ferry crossing the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Youngsters feed seagulls on a ferry crossing the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Passengers ride a ferry crossing the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A musician plays the violin on a ferry crossing the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, May 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Passengers wait to board a ferry at the Kadikoy terminal on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A man sells the popular Turkish bread "simit" on a ferry bound for the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Commuters wait as others arrive at the Kabatas ferry terminal on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Commuters disembark from a ferry at the Eminonu terminal on a rainy day in Istanbul, Turkey, Monday, May 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Two women sit on the deck of a ferry bound for the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A ferry departs from the Eminonu terminal on the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey, Friday, June 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A passenger reads a book as others board a ferry at the Eminonu terminal on the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, May 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A ferry sails after departing from the Kadikoy terminal on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Passengers ride a ferry bound for Kadikoy on the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A young boy feeds a seagull on a ferry bound for the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara, in Istanbul, Turkey, Saturday, May 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A couple and other passengers wait to board a ferry at the Besiktas terminal on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — World champions Ilia Malinin and the ice dance duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates will anchor one of the strongest U.S. Figure Skating teams in history when they head to Italy for the Milan Cortina Olympics in less than a month.

Malinin, fresh off his fourth straight national title, will be the prohibitive favorite to follow in the footsteps of Nathan Chen by delivering another men's gold medal for the American squad when he steps on the ice at the Milano Ice Skating Arena.

Chock and Bates, who won their record-setting seventh U.S. title Saturday night, also will be among the Olympic favorites, as will world champion Alysa Liu and women's teammate Amber Glenn, fresh off her third consecutive national title.

U.S. Figure Skating announced its full squad of 16 athletes for the Winter Games during a made-for-TV celebration Sunday.

"I'm just so excited for the Olympic spirit, the Olympic environment," Malinin said. “Hopefully go for that Olympic gold.”

Malinin will be joined on the men's side by Andrew Torgashev, the all-or-nothing 24-year-old from Coral Springs, Florida, and Maxim Naumov, the 24-year-old from Simsbury, Connecticut, who fulfilled the hopes of his late parents by making the Olympic team.

Vadim Naumov and Evgenia Shishkova were returning from a talent camp in Kansas when their American Airlines flight collided with a military helicopter and crashed into the icy Potomac River in January 2025. One of the last conversations they had with their son was about what it would take for him to follow in their footsteps by becoming an Olympian.

“We absolutely did it,” Naumov said. “Every day, year after year, we talked about the Olympics. It means so much in our family. It's what I've been thinking about since I was 5 years old, before I even know what to think. I can't put this into words.”

Chock and Bates helped the Americans win team gold at the Beijing Games four years ago, but they finished fourth — one spot out of the medals — in the ice dance competition. They have hardly finished anywhere but first in the years since, winning three consecutive world championships and the gold medal at three straight Grand Prix Finals.

U.S. silver medalists Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik also made the dance team, as did the Canadian-born Christina Carreira, who became eligible for the Olympics in November when her American citizenship came through, and Anthony Ponomarenko.

Liu was picked for her second Olympic team after briefly retiring following the Beijing Games. She had been burned out by years of practice and competing, but stepping away seemed to rejuvenate the 20-year-old from Clovis, California, and she returned to win the first world title by an American since Kimmie Meissner stood atop the podium two decades ago.

Now, the avant-garde Liu will be trying to help the U.S. win its first women's medal since Sasha Cohen in Turin in 2006, and perhaps the first gold medal since Sarah Hughes triumphed four years earlier at the Salt Lake City Games.

Her biggest competition, besides a powerful Japanese contingent, could come from her own teammates: Glenn, a first-time Olympian, has been nearly unbeatable the past two years, while 18-year-old Isabeau Levito is a former world silver medalist.

"This was my goal and my dream and it just feels so special that it came true,” said Levito, whose mother is originally from Milan.

The two pairs spots went to Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea, the U.S. silver medalists, and the team of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe.

The top American pairs team, two-time reigning U.S. champions Alisa Efimova and Misha Mitrofanov, were hoping that the Finnish-born Efimova would get her citizenship approved in time to compete in Italy. But despite efforts by the Skating Club of Boston, where they train, and the help of their U.S. senators, she did not receive her passport by the selection deadline.

“The importance and magnitude of selecting an Olympic team is one of the most important milestones in an athlete's life,” U.S. Figure Skating CEO Matt Farrell said, "and it has such an impact, and while there are sometimes rules, there is also a human element to this that we really have to take into account as we make decisions and what's best going forward from a selection process.

“Sometimes these aren't easy," Farrell said, “and this is not the fun part.”

The fun is just beginning, though, for the 16 athletes picked for the powerful American team.

AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics

Amber Glenn competes during the women's free skating competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Alysa Liu skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Maxim Naumov skates during the "Making Team USA" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Madison Chock and Evan Bates skate during the "Making the Team" performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Gold medalist Ilia Malinin arrives for the metal ceremony after the men's free skate competition at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)