Istanbul's waterfront turned into a floating spectacle this weekend as 15 Turkish navy vessels sailed the Bosporus to mark Turkish Naval Forces Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Preveza. The date, 27 September, commemorates the 1538 naval victory in which the Ottoman fleet under Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha defeated a much larger Holy League armada off the western coast of Greece — 488 years ago as of this year's celebrations.

The parade drew crowds of locals alongside naval commanders and city officials, who then paid their respects at Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha's tomb in Beşiktaş, the neighbourhood that still overlooks the busy strait. The National Defense Ministry used the occasion to hail both the historic victory and the modern navy's role in protecting Turkish maritime interests.

The battle itself is one of the Mediterranean's great David-and-Goliath stories. The Holy League — an alliance of the Papal States, Venice, Spain and the Knights of Malta, assembled by Pope Paul III after Venice lost several Aegean islands to the Ottomans — fielded 262 ships under the Genoese admiral Andrea Doria. Barbaros commanded a smaller force, but his agile galleys outmanoeuvred Doria's heavier sailing ships in the Gulf of Arta in the Ionian Sea, helped by unfavourable winds for the allied fleet. Doria retreated under cover of darkness after losing numerous vessels.

This year's anniversary also had a distinctly contemporary angle. Energy minister Alparslan Bayraktar linked the 1538 victory to Türkiye's current push for energy independence in what it calls the Blue Homeland, its maritime sphere. The country has named modern seismic research vessels after Barbaros and other Ottoman admirals, and now operates six drill ships and two research ships — the fourth-largest energy fleet in the world.

For travellers, the celebrations offer a reason to see the Bosporus at its most animated. The Beşiktaş waterfront, where the admiral's baroque tomb stands, is an easy stop on any Istanbul itinerary — a ferry ride from Eminönü or Karaköy, and close to the Dolmabahçe Palace and lively local markets. Even outside the annual commemoration, the strait's constant ship traffic makes it one of the world's great free waterfront shows. History-minded visitors can extend the theme across the Aegean: the old Venetian and Ottoman ports of western Greece, including Preveza itself, sit within reach of a combined Greece-and-Türkiye trip.

Anyone planning to be in Istanbul in late September should check local listings — the naval parade typically happens on or around 27 September and is best viewed from the Galata Bridge, Karaköy quays or one of the many waterfront tea gardens.