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.
13 km · about 25 min drive
AsiaTurkeyIstanbul
Rumelikavağı
Istanbul, Turkey · Asia
About Rumelikavağı
Rumelikavağı works well as a base: 5 minutes from Büyükdere, 13km from Bosphorus Strait.
Rumelikavağı is in Istanbul, Turkey, with about 3,700 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Büyükdere, about 4 km away.
Rumelikavağı, also known as Rumeli Kavağı, is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Sarıyer, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 3,657 (2022). "Rumeli" is the Turkish name for Thrace, and "Kavak" means "control post" in Ottoman Turkish referring to the strategic position of the location on theRead more
Bosporus. The ferry pier which is the center of the neighborhood is at 41°10′54″N 29°04′30″E.
Formerly, it was a small fishing village. In the 17th century, a castle was built to check Cossack naval assaults from the Black Sea. In 1877, during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), a part of the immigrants from the Russian occupied provinces settled in Rumelikavağı. Up until the 1960s, most of Rumelikavağı was a restricted zone by military.
There are many places of interest in Rumelikavağı, such as ruins of medieval castles, mosques, churches, fountains, hamams etc. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge over the Bosphorus is to the north of the neighborhood.
Where to Stay in Rumelikavağı
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Rumelikavağı?
Within an hour or so of Rumelikavağı: Bosphorus Strait (13 km), 15 July Martyrs Bridge (Bosphorus Bridge) (16 km), 15 July Martyrs Bridge (16 km), Pierre Loti Kahvesi (18 km).
Where is Rumelikavağı?
Rumelikavağı is in Istanbul, Turkey, about 4 km from Büyükdere.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 3,657
- Continent
- Asia
- Country
- Turkey
- Region
- Istanbul
- Timezone
- Europe/Istanbul
- Coordinates
- 41.1820, 29.0725
Tags
Worth the detour from Rumelikavağı
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.
16 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.
16 km · about 30 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.
18 km · about 20 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
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 Rumelikavağı
- Right hereBosphorus StraitThe legendary waterway dividing Europe and Asia, lined with Ottoman palaces, mosques, and wooden mansions best seen from a scenic ferry cruise.
- 16 km15 July Martyrs BridgeThe first suspension bridge across the Bosphorus, opened in 1973, linking the European and Asian sides of Istanbul.
- 60 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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