Best Attractions To Do İn İstanbul / Ortakoy

Bosphorus Tour in Ortakoy

You can take a ferry to have an hourly Bosphorus tour that departs every 15 minutes behind the mosque. To charter a private yacht, you need to walk true to the Kurucheshme/Bebek coast. Ortakoy, the symbol of the district under the European leg of the Bosphorus Bridge, the magnificent Ortakoy Mosque, stalls selling handcrafted souvenirs, church, synagogue, mansion, hotel, club, bar, and much more it's small but the favorite district of Istanbul.

We know that this region, where Jewish, Greek, and Muslim communities lived together throughout history, was famous for its taverns in ancient times. Today, the most popular entertainment venues are still on the Ortakoy coast.

Ortakoy Cafes & Restaurants

There is a wide variety of eating and drinking opportunities in Ortakoy. You can find many quality tea gardens, cafes, and restaurants on the Ortakoy coast, in Ortakoy square, and in Dereboyu Street in the interior. Among the popular eating and drinking places in Ortakoy, the first ones that stand out are;

In a fiery and sparkling location overlooking the sea, Ruby, Banyan Restaurant, famous for Asian dishes, The House Cafe Ortakoy, which has two large terraces and a stylish restaurant, is an ideal place to enjoy the garden in summer and brunch on Sundays. People flock to luxury restaurants and clubs at sunset. Ortakoy is one of the most popular meeting points of Istanbulites with its popular night venues, and bars, overlooking the Bosphorus with its beautiful cafes and restaurants, shops selling handicrafts souvenirs, and interesting objects. Ortakoy is also famous for its seaside tea gardens, cafes, and bakery shops. You can have a great time here during the daytime.

Ortakoy Mecidiye Mosque

Ortakoy Mosque, one of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul, was built by Sultan Abdülmecit in the 19th century and gives the impression of standing on water, is one of the most important symbols of both Ortakoy and Istanbul.

Ortaköy, where there are works from the Ottoman Period, has rich options in terms of places to visit; The most popular of these options is to take a walk by the beach. Places to visit are listed in the surrounding neighborhoods as well as the Ortaköy district center. Each of them opens the door to an invaluable memory, as it hosts a number of beauties.

Esma Sultan Mansion

Esma Sultan Mansion right next to the Ortakoy Mosque, the three-story brick pavilion was designed by the famous architect Sarkis Balyan and finished in 1875.

The Mansion, which started as a residence given to the sultan as a wedding gift, now serves as an event and exhibition palace. It was gifted to Esma Sultan, the daughter of Sultan Abdulaziz, at the age of 16, in her marriage to Cerkez Mehmet Pasha. After the death of Esma Sultan, it remained the property of the Ottoman Empire until 1915, and it was turned into a Greek school in 1918 and a tobacco warehouse in 1922. It was purchased by the Marmara Group in 1990 and has been restored to its current form since 2001 with a new project.

Etz Ahayim Synagogue (Ortaköy Sinagogu)

Etz Ahayim Synagogue is located on Muallim Naci Street in the popular Ortaköy district of Istanbul. It is located at a point close to the right leg of the Bosphorus Bridge. The building, which is among the places to visit in Ortaköy, is also known as Ortaköy Synagogue among the people.

As a result of a fire in Ortaköy in 1941, everything else was burned to ashes, except for the Aron Kodesh marble used in the construction of the synagogue. Upon this unpleasant event, the synagogue was rebuilt and opened to visitors and took its present form.

Hatice Sultan Mansion

Hatice Sultan Mansion, a historical mansion located in Istanbul's Ortaköy district on the Bosphorus and named after its original owner, Hatice Sultan, is one of the six sultan's mansions. It is among the only historical places that have survived to the present day, especially after the fire in Ortaköy.

5. For Hatice Sultan, daughter of Murad II. It was built by Abdülhamid towards the end of the 1800s. Hatice Sultan Mansion was used for a while as a primary school and orphanage. Today, it is used as a water sports club building.

Historical Hüsrev Kethüda Bath (Ortaköy Bath)

The Historical Ortakoy Bath, which is the first work built after the Turks settled in Ortakoy and were commissioned by Mimar Sinan in the 1570s by Husrev Kethuda, the butler of Sokullu Mehmet Pasha, draws attention to its architecture. The bath now serves as a restaurant after its restoration.

Feriye Palace

Standing out among the historical buildings of Ortaköy, Feriye Palace is located in the middle of Beşiktaş and Ortaköy districts. The building, which dates back to the Ottoman Empire, is located on Çırağan Street. The palace has been used by many institutions for educational activities in the past. Feriye Palace consists of 3 main buildings overlooking the sea, 1 concubine ward and a small 2-story building. Today, a part of the palace, which is used by Kabataş High School for Boys, is used by Galatasaray University.