Arnavutkoy: Beautiful Old Houses Will Take You Back in Time
You may hear about two Arnavutkoy's, but don't get confused. Arnavutkoy district and Arnavutkoy neighbourhood are two different things, although the neighbourhood is in the district. Arnavutkoy neighbourhood is on Bosphorus. It is between Kurucesme and Bebek. You can see Kandilli, Uskudar and Vanikoy on the Anatolian coast.
History
Arnavutkoy means "Albanian village" in Turkish, but it almost has nothing to do with Albanians. The original population was mostly Greek. It was actually a Greek village in 16th century. It was famous for its gardens. It continued to be so until 18th and 19th century. Unfortunately, big Istanbul fires affected Arnavutkoy negatively.
You can still see the Greek style old buildings. The neighbourhood lost some of its beauty, after the Greeks fled to Greece due to 6-7 September 1955 incidents, after the apartments started to rise in 1960's and after in a causeway was built in front of the mansions 1980's. (Plus third bridge and third airport...) However, it is still one of the most beautiful districts in Turkey.
Sights
Tevfikiye Mosque: It was ordered by Sultan Mahmut II and was built in 1832. It is a very plain and new looking building, so it may not seem so old at the first look.
Aya Strati Taksiarhi Greek Orthodox Church: The Hellenic church was built at the beginning of 1900's. It is dedicated to the archangel.
Arnavutkoy Police Station: This is also a historical building. It is an elegant old building near the coast.
Robert College: It was founded in 1863 as an American school within Ottoman Empire. In 1871, American Girls' College was also founded. In 1971 Bogazici University was founded on the area of Robert College. Robert Collage was carried to and combined with American Girls' Collage.
Curious Children Kindergarten: It was formerly Arnavutkoy Greek School. You can still see the Hellenic architecture.
Painted Kiosk Pavilion (Izzetpasa Pavilion): The one you'll see today is the replica made in 21th century. The original one was built in 1791. But it burned seven years later. It was demolished i n 1840's, then in 1975. It is the building of Bayraktar building since 1992.
Akintiburnu: It means "the cape with current" in Turkish. It is a little cape in Arnavutkoy. There is a continuous surface current, of which swirls are still a problem for sailors. There is a small lighthouse on it.
What to Eat at Arnavutkoy
Especially near Akintiburnu, there are fancy sea food restaurants where you may want to spend your money, if you can afford. There are also lovely cafés around.
How to Get to Arnavutkoy
Arnavutkoy Port is active throughout the day. You can have a great Bosphorus tour in the ferries that stop by this port. You can also use the bus. However, the traffic jam is very heavy on week ends, because the road is so narrow. If you have time you can at least walk one way to or from Arnavutkoy. The view is so nice that you may not even feel tired.
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