Kuzguncuk

Overview

Kuzguncuk is the Istanbul neighborhood that people describe as a village. It lies on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, tucked into a small green valley. Its wooden houses are painted red, blue and ochre. Down by the water, a mosque and a church stand side by side with domes of the same height. Further up, a synagogue keeps its doors open on Saturdays. And a vegetable garden survived because the neighbors stood in front of the bulldozers. By car along the Asian shore, join our Asian Bosphorus villages tour. With a guide, join our Jewish heritage tour in Istanbul.

It is a place to slow down. There are no big monuments here, so you need no tickets either. Instead, you find a living example of what Istanbul used to be: Muslims, Jews, Greeks and Armenians sharing one street for centuries.

Kuzguncuk, a Village of Many Faiths

Kuzguncuk belongs to the Üsküdar district, on the Asian side of Istanbul. It sits on the Bosphorus between Üsküdar and Beylerbeyi, under the Bosphorus Bridge. The neighborhood climbs a short valley from the shore road, with one main street, İcadiye Caddesi, and a web of steep lanes.

Because Kuzguncuk is small, you can see it in a couple of hours. However, it is best enjoyed slowly, with a long breakfast, a walk through the lanes and a coffee by the water. For a slow morning, join our Turkish breakfast and coffee tour.

How much time do you need in Kuzguncuk?

Jews, Greeks, Armenians and Muslims on One Street

The little raven

Kuzguncuk means “little raven” in Turkish, but nobody is sure why. One story names a holy man, Kuzgun Baba, who lived here in the time of Sultan Mehmed II. Another explanation sees a Turkish echo of an older Greek name, Kosinitza. In Byzantine times, the area may have been called Chrysokeramos, “golden tile”, after a church with a gilded roof.

A Jewish village on the Asian shore

Over the centuries, Kuzguncuk grew into a Jewish neighborhood on the Asian side of the city. Jewish families from the old city and, later, Sephardic families from Spain made it their home. Greek Orthodox families lived here as well, and later, in the 18th century, Armenians arrived. For generations, these communities shared the same streets, bakeries and coffee houses. Each had its own church or synagogue, a few steps from the others.

Departures and revival

In the 20th century, however, most non-Muslim residents left. The 6–7 September pogrom of 1955, emigration and later departures emptied many houses. Later, the architect and poet Cengiz Bektaş began restoring old houses together with residents and other architects. His work helped save the neighborhood’s character, and Kuzguncuk became a favorite of writers, artists and film crews.

Walking Kuzguncuk, House by House

The mosque and the church side by side

On the shore road, the Kuzguncuk Mosque and the Armenian Church of Surp Krikor Lusavoriç (St. Gregory the Illuminator) stand next to each other. For a long time there was no mosque in the center of the neighborhood. Then the mosque was built in the courtyard of the church, and the Armenian congregation helped with the funds. Today, fittingly, their domes rise to the same height, a symbol of how Kuzguncuk’s communities lived together.

The church itself began as a wooden building and was later rebuilt in stone. The church opens for services and special days.

Beth Yaakov Synagogue

On İcadiye Caddesi stands the Beth Yaakov Synagogue, an old synagogue on the site of an earlier building. Few Jewish families still live in Kuzguncuk, yet the synagogue remains active. Families whose roots are here keep it alive, and services are held on Saturdays. Visits are only possible by prior arrangement with the Chief Rabbinate.

The Greek churches

Kuzguncuk also has two Greek Orthodox churches, Ayios Georgios and Ayios Panteleimon. They are usually closed; still, their walls and gardens are part of the neighborhood’s skyline. Look for the Greek inscriptions above old gates and doorways as you walk.

İcadiye Caddesi

The main street climbs from the shore through the heart of the neighborhood. Along it you find small bakeries, a greengrocer, antique and design shops and cafés with tables on the pavement. Above them stand well-preserved wooden houses. Then turn into the side streets to see bay windows, little front gardens and doors painted in bright colors.

The Kuzguncuk Bostanı

In the middle of the neighborhood lies a large vegetable garden, the bostan. For generations, a family had worked it until developers wanted the land. Later, a zoning change allowed building on the land, and residents repeatedly blocked construction. Some even stood in front of the bulldozers to save the trees. After a sit-in, the municipality and residents agreed that nothing would be built and that the garden would stay open to all. Today neighbors still grow vegetables, while families sit under the trees. It is a moving place.

Perihan Abla Street

From 1986, the TRT series Perihan Abla was filmed in Kuzguncuk, and it made the neighborhood famous across Türkiye. After the series ended, the city also named a street after its beloved heroine. Since then, many other films and series have used Kuzguncuk’s streets, so do not be surprised to meet a film crew.

Üryanizade Mosque and the shore

At the northern edge of the neighborhood, the small Üryanizade Mosque stands by the water. It initially began as a prayer room. From here, walk along the shore toward Beylerbeyi, under the Bosphorus Bridge. You will pass waterside mansions and anglers fishing from the quay.

Nakkaştepe and the view

Climb the lanes behind Kuzguncuk to Nakkaştepe, a park on the hill above the neighborhood. From the top, you look down over the roofs to the Bosphorus, the bridge and the European shore.

The best photo spots in Kuzguncuk

• The mosque and the church together: from the shore road, morning light.
• The bostan: colorful houses rising behind the vegetable beds.
• İcadiye Caddesi: bay windows, cafés and street life.
• The shore under the bridge: mansions and the Bosphorus.
• Nakkaştepe: roofs, bridge and sea from above.

The Wednesday Market and the Bostan

A village inside a megacity

Kuzguncuk still feels like a place where everyone knows everyone. Shopkeepers greet regulars by name, cats sleep on the doorsteps and on weekends families come from all over the city for breakfast.

The Wednesday street market

Every Wednesday, a neighborhood street market sets up in Kuzguncuk. It is a market for locals, not for visitors: village cheeses, olives, seasonal fruit and vegetables, herbs, eggs and household goods, with vendors calling out their prices. Come in the morning, buy a bag of whatever fruit is in season and watch Kuzguncuk do its weekly shopping. It is a truly local hour in the neighborhood.

Weekends and breakfasts

On Saturdays and Sundays, Istanbul families come to Kuzguncuk’s cafés for a long Turkish breakfast. Join them, then walk on from İcadiye into the side lanes.

Where We Eat in Kuzguncuk

• Turkish breakfast: cheeses, olives, eggs, honey and clotted cream, with endless tea.
• Bakeries: simit, poğaça and fresh bread from the neighborhood ovens.
• Metet Közde Döner: a neighborhood favorite on İcadiye Caddesi, where the döner turns over glowing embers (közde) instead of gas. Salad and pickles come to the table with your order.
• Coffee by the water: on the shore road, with the bridge above you.

On the same Asian shore, Çengelköy is another Bosphorus village, with wooden mansions and tea by the water.

How to Visit Kuzguncuk

Getting to Kuzguncuk

• From the European side: take a ferry to Üsküdar, then a short bus or taxi ride north along the shore, or a 30-minute walk by the water.
• From Üsküdar: buses along the Bosphorus stop at Kuzguncuk.
• By car: parking is very limited, so come by taxi or with a driver.

Combine Kuzguncuk with

• Üsküdar: Mimar Sinan‘s mosques, the Maiden’s Tower and the shore.
• Beylerbeyi Palace: the sultans’ summer palace, a short walk north.
• Kadıköy: the food market and the Moda shore, a short ride south.
• Çengelköy: tea gardens and fish by the water, further up the Bosphorus.

Local tips for Kuzguncuk

• Come on a Wednesday morning to see the street market.
• Arrange the synagogue in advance through the Chief Rabbinate.
• Respect the garden and the residents, since it is a shared space, not a backdrop.

For dinner, the fish restaurant Ismet Baba has long served the neighborhood by the water.

Above Üsküdar, Çamlıca Hill offers a wide view over the southern Bosphorus.