Conquerors of Sarayburnu swimming group

The Conquerors of Sarayburnu are a group of about 200 people that swim in the sea, off the historic Sarayburnu peninsula of Istanbul every morning, 365 days a year. Regardless of the weather, they meet every day and jump into the Bosphurus for an invigorating swim. Known in English as the Seraglio Point, the area is a promontory that separates the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey.
Members of the group hail from at least 15 of Istanbul´s different districts. After morning prayer at the Hagia Sophia Mosque, they meet at the seashore. Those who arrive first light a bonfire for all to stay warm at the water´s edge. Then they change into their swimsuits and walk about a kilometer to reach the point where they jump into the frigid waters. They swim for about 10 minutes against the current of the Bosphorus Strait. When they make it out, they gather around the fire to warm up. Sometimes during the summer months when the weather is nice, they swim between the Asian and European sides of Istanbul.