Ortaköy Neighborhood

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Ortaköy Neighborhood features in these preplanned City Guides:

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

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

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