scenic viewpoint
Bosphorus Strait
The legendary waterway dividing Europe and Asia, lined with Ottoman palaces, mosques, and wooden mansions best seen from a scenic ferry cruise.
12 km · about 25 min drive
AsiaTurkeyIstanbul
Anadolukavağı
Istanbul, Turkey · Asia
About Anadolukavağı
Anadolukavağı works well as a base: 10 minutes from Büyükdere, 12km from Bosphorus Strait.
Anadolukavağı is in Istanbul, Turkey, with about 1,500 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Büyükdere, about 4 km away.
Anadolukavağı (sometimes written as Anadolu Kavağı) is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Beykoz, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 1,517 (2022). It is at the northern end of the Bosphorus. "Anadolu" is the Turkish name for Anatolia, and "kavak" meant "control post" in Ottoman Turkish,Read more
suggesting the strategic importance of its location. It is directly across from Rumeli Kavağı, the Greek or European control post on the other side of the Bosphorus.
Anadolu Kavağı was originally called Hieron (Ancient Greek: ἱερόν) and was an important outpost for the Romans and the Byzantines.
It has been suggested that in the past some villagers acted as 'wreckers', lighting fires to disorient ships and ground them in the narrow Strait so that they could seize their cargo. Others claim that Anadolu Kavağı served as a refuge where trade ships could shelter from storms.
Once a fishing village, it retains a village atmosphere and has many fish restaurants offering lunches for passengers on the longer Bosphorus cruises which usually terminate here.
Although there are few permanent residents, the military personnel at surrounding bases contribute to a total population of about 1,500.
The village's most prominent historic structures are a small mosque commissioned by Ali Pasha of Midilli (Lesbos) in 1593, and a fountain commissioned by Cevriye Hatun in 1785.
Ruinous Yoros Castle, an old Genoese fortress, stands on the hill above Anadolu Kavağı. From its walls there are fine views out towards the Third Bosphorus Bridge and the Black Sea.
Şehir Hatları, the city ferry company, offers sailings to and from Üsküdar and points in between. The twice-daily long Bosphorus ferry services leave Eminönü for Anadolu Kavağı, calling in at points en route including Sarıyer and Rumeli Kavağı on the European shore of the Bosphorus. The village is also served by an hourly bus service from Üsküdar.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Anadolukavağı?
Within an hour or so of Anadolukavağı: Bosphorus Strait (12 km), 15 July Martyrs Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge) (15 km), 15 July Martyrs Bridge (15 km), Galata Tower (19 km).
Where is Anadolukavağı?
Anadolukavağı is in Istanbul, Turkey, about 4 km from Büyükdere.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,517
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Turkey
- Region
- Istanbul
- Timezone
- Europe/Istanbul
- Coordinates
- 41.1742, 29.0891
Tags
Worth the detour from Anadolukavağı
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
landmark
15 July Martyrs Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge)
First bridge to span the Bosphorus strait connecting Europe and Asia, an illuminated icon of the Istanbul skyline.
15 km · about 30 min drive
bridge
15 July Martyrs Bridge
The first suspension bridge across the Bosphorus, opened in 1973, linking the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
15 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Galata Tower
Medieval stone tower rising above Istanbul's Galata quarter, offering 360-degree panoramic views of the city and Bosphorus.
19 km · about 20 min drive
cafe
Pierre Loti Kahvesi
A hilltop coffeehouse above Eyüp cemetery with the best view down the Golden Horn, named for the French novelist who drank here in the 1870s while writing Aziyadé. A cable car climbs to it from the waterfront.
19 km · about 20 min drive
museum
Topkapi Palace Museum
The lavish Ottoman sultans' residence for 400 years, housing imperial treasures, holy relics, and the famous Harem.
20 km · about 25 min drive
photogenic
Balat & Fener
Steep cobbled lanes of tall narrow houses painted in blocks of colour on the Golden Horn, the old Jewish and Greek Orthodox quarters of Istanbul. The red-brick Phanar Greek College looms over the rooftops.
20 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque)
An iconic 17th-century Ottoman mosque famous for its six minarets and interior adorned with over 20,000 handmade İznik blue tiles.
21 km · about 25 min drive
Driving roads near Anadolukavağı
- Right hereBosphorus StraitThe legendary waterway dividing Europe and Asia, lined with Ottoman palaces, mosques, and wooden mansions best seen from a scenic ferry cruise.
- Right here15 July Martyrs BridgeThe first suspension bridge across the Bosphorus, opened in 1973, linking the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
- 59 kmOsman Gazi BridgeSoaring 1,550 m-span suspension bridge across the Gulf of İzmit, one of the longest in the world, slashing the Istanbul–İzmir drive on the O-5 motorway.
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