Let your self experience a great city where the Continents meet.
Latest News
New openings in 2024
The St. Saviour in Chora (Kariye) is re-opened after years of restorations as a mosque and a museum.
Entrance fees in 2024
As of 1st of March 2024, many State museums' fees are set in Euros, to be paid its equivalent in Turkish Liras.
Museum Pass
You can buy the "Museum Pass" for foreigners which is valid for 5 days in various museums of Istanbul.
Museums open 7 days
Many State museums in Istanbul operate 7 days a week, except Topkapi Palace.
Ortakoy neighborhood in Istanbul
Ortakoy is one of the nicest neighborhoods of Besiktas districts in the European side of Istanbul on the
Bosphorus Strait, right under the first Bosphorus bridge. In
Turkish it means "middle village" because it was in the middle of the strait, and during the
Ottoman period it was just a small fishing village and a resort for the Ottoman dignitaries because of its attractive location. After many years, the district is still a popular spot for local people and foreign visitors.
Ortakoy has many cafeterias and tea houses around a square near the water or in the alleys, moderate or expensive restaurants, bars, small shops and a market which gets very lively during the weekends. In the summer time there are even small size concerts or street shows etc. Many world class night clubs are also in this area, on the Bosphorus.
Ortakoy center lies within a triangle of a Muslim mosque, a Christian church, and a Jewish synagogue, witnessing the religious freedom and mosaic in Turkey as a secular state. Other interesting sites within Ortakoy district are: Ciragan Palace hotel which used to be a palace, Kabatas High School from late Ottoman period, Feriye restaurant which used be the hunting mansion of the sultans, Princess Hotel, Sortie night club and Reina night club. A small pier is connecting Ortakoy to other neighborhoods on the Asian side by passenger ferries.
Click here for high resolution photo gallery of Ortakoy.
Hope to see you soon in Istanbul.
