Haydarpaşa Station

Overview

As the ferry from Eminönü nears the Asian shore, a huge stone building with two pointed towers seems to float on the water. At first sight, it looks like a castle from a German fairy tale. But it is a railway station, and for a century trains left from here for Ankara, Kars, Baghdad and Tehran. This is Haydarpaşa Station, the old gateway from Istanbul to Anatolia. By city ferry, join our Istanbul ferry tour.

So watch for it from the ferry, and have your camera ready.

Haydarpaşa Station on the Asian Shore

To begin with, the station stands on an embankment over the Bosphorus, just north of Kadıköy and south of the busy port. For many years, also, it was the busiest railway station in Turkey. Its partner on the European side was Sirkeci, where trains from Europe arrived, and ferries carried passengers between the two.

History of Haydarpaşa Station

A railway to Baghdad

First, the line to İzmit, opened from here in 1872. In 1904, Haydarpaşa was chosen as the starting point of the famous Baghdad Railway and the Hejaz Railway, so a much larger building was needed. The Anatolian Railway hired two German architects, Otto Ritter and Helmut Conu, and work began in 1906.

Built on wooden piles

Because the shore was soft, the builders drove 1,100 wooden piles, each 21 meters (69 feet) long, into the ground with a steam hammer. Next, German and Italian stonemasons carved the facades. The new terminal opened on November 4, 1909, the birthday of Sultan Mehmed V. At the same time, the German workers had built a small neighborhood of their own, with a school, in nearby Yeldeğirmeni.

The great trains

After the founding of the Republic, the Turkish State Railways took over in 1927. In the same year, for example, the all-sleeper Anatolian Express began to run to Ankara. Later came the Eastern Express to Kars in 1938, the Taurus Express to Baghdad in 1940 and the Trans-Asia Express to Tehran in 1965.

Fire and an uncertain future

On November 28, 2010, a fire during repair work destroyed the roof and the top floor. Then, in February 2012, long-distance trains stopped for the building of the high-speed line and the Marmaray. Since then, the station has stood empty, and plans for its future have caused long protests., the plan is to use it again as a station and as a museum.

What to See at Haydarpaşa Station

The facade and towers

First, look at the building from the water or from the shore. Its neo-classical stone front, steep slate roof and two corner towers make it one of the most photographed buildings on the Asian side.

The ferry pier and the excavations

Also, in front of the station stands a small ferry pier from 1917, designed by Vedat Tek and decorated with Kütahya tiles. Beside the tracks, in turn, excavations since 2018 have uncovered the remains of a Byzantine coastal town.

How to Visit Haydarpaşa Station

Getting there

The station stands a short walk north of the Kadıköy ferry piers. In general, the best plan is to take a ferry to Kadıköy and walk along the shore. We follow the restoration and the rail services of the Turkish State Railways for your dates.

Seeing it with us

We pass Haydarpaşa on many crossings to the Asian side. Afterward, explore the market streets of Kadıköy and the seaside lanes of Moda. For its partner on the European side, visit Sirkeci Station, the last stop of the Orient Express.