Sarıyer

Overview

North of the bridges, the Bosphorus changes mood. As you go north, the hills grow greener, old summer mansions line the water, and the villages slow down. Then, at the end of the coast road, fish stalls and fish restaurants crowd around a busy ferry pier. This is Sarıyer, where the city goes for a fish lunch by the water, and the gateway to the upper Bosphorus.

Sarıyer and the Upper Bosphorus

To begin with, Sarıyer is a large district on the European side, stretching from Emirgan north to the mouth of the Bosphorus and even to the Black Sea beach of Kilyos. Its shore, at the same time, is a string of old villages: Emirgan, İstinye, Yeniköy, Tarabya, Büyükdere and, finally, Sarıyer itself. On this shore, Kocataş Mansions turns two rebuilt waterfront mansions into a hotel.

History of Sarıyer

For centuries, these were fishing villages backed by steep green hills. Then, in the 18th century, people close to the Ottoman court began to build waterfront mansions here, and foreign merchants from Galata and Pera followed with summer houses. In the 19th century, the embassies built summer residences too. Even so, the villages stayed sleepy until the 1950s, when Istanbul families started coming here on holiday.

What to See in Sarıyer

The fish market and restaurants

First, head to the waterfront. Because a fish market supplies them, a long line of fish restaurants serves the day’s catch, and on weekends Istanbul families come to eat by the water.

The villages along the shore

Next, explore the villages to the south. Yeniköy keeps a small old quarter with Greek Orthodox churches and long-established cafés and bakeries. Similarly, Tarabya, the Therapia of the Greeks, has fish restaurants and taverns, while Büyükdere is known for its börek.

The Sadberk Hanım Museum

Also in Büyükdere, two old mansions on the shore road house the Sadberk Hanım Museum, with collections of archaeology and Ottoman art.

Rumeli Kavağı

Finally, just north of Sarıyer, the village of Rumeli Kavağı is the last stop of the long Bosphorus ferry on the European shore, facing Anadolu Kavağı and Yoros Castle across the water.

How to Visit Sarıyer

The Bosphorus ferries call at Sarıyer, and buses and minibuses run along the shore from Beşiktaş. The M2 metro also reaches Hacıosman, a short ride from the water. The same line, with a change at Sanayi Mahallesi, takes fans to RAMS Park, Galatasaray’s stadium in Sarıyer, for Galatasaray vs Aston Villa on November 24. We plan your crossing on the current city ferry timetable.

We add Sarıyer to our Bosphorus villages tour and to private cruises. Also, nearby you can visit Emirgan Park and the Sakıp Sabancı Museum, the fortress of Rumelihisarı and, inland, Belgrad Forest.