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Showing posts with label Beykoz. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beykoz. Show all posts

Sunday, 26 July 2015

Anadolukavagi: A Lovely Fishermen's Village at Anatolian Coast


Anadolukavagi is a neighbourhood of Beykoz. It is a touristic village with nice restaurants that serve sea food, as well as Yoros Castle.


Yoros Castle


This is a castle dates back to the Eastern Roman Empire times. After the empire weakened, the Genoese took hold of the castle. So, many people mistaken it for a Geneose castle. The area the castle covers is the largest, compared to the other castles in and around Istanbul. Some of the interior towers are still intact, and there are some Greek inscriptions on them. The origin of its name isn't for sure. It may be Hieron that means "sacred place", the nick name of Zeus that is "proper winds", or oros that means "mountain".

The castle isn't cared for how it should be, but at least it isn't idle. The archaeological studies are still going on, and it is forbidden to go in. However, I was lucky a couple of years ago. I was mistaken for an "Australian" and the door keeper let me and my friend in. So, long before the idea of this blog occurred, I had photos of Yoros Castle from inside. Enjoy the one below.


How to get to Anadolu Kavagi


There are two ways to go to Anadolu Kavagi: one from the road, one from the sea. If you take the road, you need to come to Kavacik and there you should get on 15A, Anadolukavagi bus. It is a frequent line, but you may stuck in the traffic. If you want to come with ferry, you can get on the Bosphorus line from whatever port it stops. The ferries aren't as frequent as buses, but if you don't have any hurry, I suggest you to prefer ferries for a scenic trip.

Thursday, 23 July 2015

Anadolu Hisari: The Fortress on the Anatolian Side


When you say Anadolu Hisari, it means the fortress. When you say Anadoluhisari, it means the district. I'll mainly tell you about the sight, but also mention the district.


The Fortress


It is on the spot where Goksu Stream pours into the Marmara Sea. Like Rumeli Hisari (but before that), it was built on the narrowest part of Bosphorus. It was built in 1395, at the reign of Yildirim Beyazid. Passing from Bosphorus was important for the Genoese, who were allied with Eastern Romans. However, it was also important for the Ottomans. After the conquest of Istanbul, the fortress lost its importance. Unfortunately, it wasn't lucky as Rumeli Hisari, which is being used as a concert arena and open air museum. It is mostly a ruin and there is a road passing in the middle of it.


The District


It is between Kanlica and Kandilli. Goksu Stream is the distinctive geographical element there. It was sure cleaner and more beautiful at the past, based on the Kucuksu Pavilion.

Kucuksu Pavilion was built by Nikogos Balyan by the order of Abdulmecit in 1856. Its previous name was Goksu Pavilion. Pavilions were thought to belong to sultans apart from the palace, and they were larger than the kiosks. Today, there is a cosy tea house/café on its yard and the pavilion is used for weddings. I recommend you to drink tea or coffee next to the sea. The prices are reasonable.

The area between Goksu Stream and Kucuksu Stream is called Kucuksu Meadow. Next to the pavilion is Kucuksu Fountain, namely Mihrisah Valide Sultan Fountain.


How to get to Anadolu Hisari?


The Beykoz buses that follow the coastal road will pass from Anadolu Hisari. Beware that the road is narrow and the traffic jam is very heavy on week ends. 15F is the line between Kadikoy and Beykoz. You can also use the ferry which is much more scenic, but it is less frequent than the bus lines.

Sunday, 3 May 2015

Polonezkoy: Green and Polish




Polonezkoy, formerly Adampol, is a Polack village at Beykoz. It has lots of green and peace, so it is ideal for an escape from the city. It is 20 km away from Black Sea coast and 15 km away from the Bosphorus coast.

Polonezkoy was founded by Adam Czartoryski, who was the mayor during The November Uprising (1830 Polish Revolution) and the political leader of Polish exiles, in 1842. The village was named Adampol, the village of Adam (Adamköy, "köy" is village in Turkish). The land they settled was originally organized as a farm by the Lazarist fathers of Saint Benoit French High School (still in operation at Karakoy). Adam negotiated with Ottoman government, made deals and bought some land. The village began with 12 habitants and grew dramatically.

Even before the World War II, people started to come here with touristic purposes. Among the famous names who have visited Polonezkoy are Hungarian pianist Franz Liszt (1847), French writer Gustave Flaubert and Czech writer Karel Droz (1904).

Sights at Polonezkoy


Zofia Rizi Memory House: This house is one of the oldest houses of Polonezkoy. It was built between the years 1881-1883. It is a traditional Polish house and still original. It is almost hidden in the middle of its green garden. Inside, there are photos and belongings of Ryzy family.

Czestochowa's Church (Temple of Holy Anna): This is a historical church at Polonezkoy. The first religious building at Polonezkoy is Holy Anna Church, built in 1842. Unfortunately the original church was ruined severely at the big eartquake that hit Istanbul in 1894. In 1914, Czestochowa Chapel was built.

Polonezkoy Catolic Cemetary: The first residents of Adampol sleep their forever sleeps, here in the Polonezkoy Cemetary. There are also graves of important Polish people. The grave stones are mostly in Polish. An interesting grave that belongs to a Polish officer has reached today as a mausoleum.

And of course, you can always visit green planes, and walk or sit on them.

How to get to Polonezkoy


It is both hard and easy to get to Polonezkoy. There is no public transportation. You can go to a nearbyplace like Ucpinarlar, then take a taxi which may be expensive. In my opinion, the best way is to rent a car and go there free from any worries.

Polonezkoy hotels


There are no big and five star hotels at Polonezkoy, which is actually good. You can feel the nature at pansions and renovated traditional houses. However, if you go out in the morning, you won't even need to stay overnight and you can choose a hotel at the Istanbul city center.

What to eat at Polonezkoy

There are many choices of restaurants at Polonezkoy. My favourites are the ones with the village style. There is nothing more delicious at Polonezkoy than the economic combination of ayran (yoghurt drink) and gozleme (Stuff like cheese, potato or spinach between phyllo).

Every June, the village hosts the Polonezkoy Cherry Festival. It is very close, so don't miss it.
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