Ortaköy, Bebek & Arnavutköy
The former fishing villages on the European Bosporus shore are now Istanbul's most beautiful promenades: Each village has its own character, its own cafés, and its own view of the water.
Ortaköy
Ortaköy is famous for two things: the Ortaköy Mosque (Büyük Mecidiye Camii, 1856) — a Baroque jewel right by the water, with the Bosporus Bridge as a backdrop — and Kumpir: giant baked potatoes loaded with 20 different fillings (cheese, sausage, corn, olives, couscous, Russian salad) at stalls along the shore. Price: 3–5€. The perfect combination: eat Kumpir, photograph the mosque, sit by the shore.
Bebek
Bebek is Istanbul's most elegant Bosporus village: a horseshoe-shaped bay with luxury villas, a marina, and a promenade made for strolling. Here, Istanbulites have breakfast on weekends — Kahvaltı with a Bosporus view in one of the cafés along the waterfront. The Bebek Promenade leads from the bay to the Rumeli Hisarı fortress (30 min. walk) — one of the most beautiful walks in Istanbul.
- Bebek Kahve: Legendary café since 1940 — watch the Bosporus bustle over Turkish coffee. 2–3€ for a coffee.
- Boğaziçi Üniversitesi: The campus of Turkey's most prestigious university is located above Bebek — a green hill with a panoramic view.
Arnavutköy
Arnavutköy is the most photogenic village on the Bosporus: Pastel-colored Ottoman wooden houses (Yalıs) line the water, with steep alleys rising behind them. The village has retained its fishing character — here you will find excellent fish restaurants (with a Bosporus view, of course) and an atmosphere reminiscent of Istanbul before the tourism boom.