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Preplanned City Guides and Travel Itineraries

Ortaköy Neighborhood

On this page you find practical information, photos and videos about Ortaköy Neighborhood.

Ortaköy Neighborhood features in these preplanned City Guides:

5-day Istanbul City Guide

Why visit / Interesting facts:

  • Charming waterfront area
  • Mighty Bosphorus Bridge

Time required: 90 minutes

Public transport:

Address:

Things you need to know:

  • Istanbul's Ortaköy district used to be a romantic fishing village. Today it is an affluent waterfront neighborhood located in the middle of Bosphorus' European bank
  • The neighborhood was a cosmopolitan area both during the Byzantine and Ottoman era. Turks, Jews, Greeks and Americans lived here
  • With many art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants the district is hugely popular on weekends both among locals and tourists
  • One of the oldest buildings of Ortaköy is the nearly 500-year old Turkish bath. It was built by Ottoman star architect Mimar Sinan in 1556
  • The Ortaköy Mosque is a beautifully ornamented Neo-Baroque style mosque. It was built in the 18th c, but only received its current ornate look in the middle of 19th c.
  • The Çırağan Palace was built in 1871 by Sultan Abdülaziz as his residence. Until a fire severely damaged the building in 1910 the palace served as the Ottoman Parliament. Today it is one of Istanbul's most luxurious hotels
  • The once famous cosmopolitan population is gone. The riot of 1955 had a major impact when, after a bombing of a Turkish consulate in Greece, a Turkish mob assaulted the Greek minority of Ortaköy and killed over a dozen people

What to do there:

  • Take a walk and explore this popular neighborhood
  • On Sundays, shop for hats, hand-made jewelry and old books at the open-air market
  • Do not miss the tiny Ortaköy Camii perched on a promontory over the Bosphorus
  • Look out for the beautiful bell tower of Ayios Fokas Rum's (16 Muallim Haci Cad), a Greek Orthodox church previously central to the area's once-large Greek community
  • If you have the time go on a boat tour that will take you around the Bosphorus area

Tips & Insights:

  • It is a popular spot for locals and tourists alike, with its art galleries, night clubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants
  • At night, the lights on the mighty Bosphorus Bridge change color, graceful without being kitsch

Ortaköy Neighborhood features in these preplanned City Guides: