The First New Tunnel
In October of 2013, the Marmaray Subway Station opened in Istanbul, connecting Europe and Asia for the first time ever by rail. In truly unifying the west and east, it takes only four minutes to cross the Bosphorus through the underground tunnel. The Marmaray project was also deemed highly successful because it has since eased congestion in Istanbul and is saving commuters thousands of hours each year through its use. The remainder of the project finished in 2014, and has since been a key part of Istanbul's city planners' success. Though the Marmaray station is on the area of the Theodosian Harbor and has a new name and form, it is still doing the same job. It connects the east and west, and though it is not through ships, it is through cars and rails. At this point, the Theodosian Harbor's status as a lieux de memoire changes in that it takes on a new identity. No longer in 2010s does the Theodosian Harbor represent imperial commerce, but now a new age of modernization and urban development and infrastructure improvement that is taking place in Istanbul.
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