Amerigo Vespucci, the famous training ship of the Italian Navy, comes to Istanbul every year, and usually more than once a year (several times)

http://dunyaturk.com/tr25/KeremAbi_KeremAbiBogaz_Panoramik2.jpg

I see it very often on the Bosphorus

It's the largest existing sail ship in the world, with a 57m tall central mast.

It made a stop in Kotor, Serbia and Montenegro a week or two ago as well.

http://www.pobjeda.cg.yu/slike/1100224661.jpg

Other sail ships on the Bosphorus

http://dunyaturk.com/tr21/Burc_yelkenli_5128.jpg

http://dunyaturk.com/tr21/kemal_bereket_yelkenli2.jpg

A Turkish Navy Type U-209 submarine

http://dunyaturk.com/tr23/Burc_denizalti.jpg

German design, Turkish built

Harpoon SSM, Tigerfish torps

Club Med (also a regular at Istanbul)

http://dunyaturk.com/tr21/Burc_yelkenli_5119.jpg

And the famous commuter ferries of the Bosphorus, of course, with the Sea Walls of Constantinople (324), Topkapi Palace (1478), Haghia Sophia (537), and the Blue Mosque (1616) seen in the rear:

http://dunyaturk.com/tr29/Salih_Erden_yarimada.jpg

View from a commuter ferry:

http://dunyaturk.com/tr29/Tuncer_HALICI_100_1310.jpg

Does Istanbul have any major ports like Athens does at Pireaus?

Istanbul's famous commuter ferries were built in Glasgow, Scotland

http://dunyaturk.com/tr20/Mustafa_Noyan_Inkilap5.jpg

You can search for it at Yahoo: "Galataport"

Here's a newer one, built in Istanbul in 1989 (but designed in Glasgow, like most older models since 1854):

http://dunyaturk.com/tr21/kemal_bereket_fahri_koruturk.jpg

Most Bosphorus ferries (all of them since 1914) were designed by Fairfield in Glasgow.

This year is the 150th anniversary of the Bosphorus ferry.

Vespucci's sailors in Istanbul

http://www.marina.difesa.it/vespucci2004/images/istambul/03.jpg

Asimov go here (http://www.marina.difesa.it/vespucci2004/istanbul.htm)

wow the first picture is awsome! Do you have it in wallpaper analysis?

http://www.esys.org/gofo/segelsetzen%20gofo.jpg

Wunderbar!

aahahah! those sailors look like crows on trees! :D

Does Istanbul have any major ports like Athens does at Pireaus?

For trade, there are Kumport and Haydarpasa ports in Istanbul. May be more, these are the ones i use.