Ortaköy, Istanbul

Ortaköy – "the middle village" – sits on a small bay on the European shore of the Bosphorus between Beşiktaş and Kuruçeşme. In Byzantine times the area was known as Hagios Phokas, after a church dedicated to Saint Phocas, a patron of sailors. Under the Ottomans it grew into a mixed village where Muslims, Greek Orthodox Christians, Armenians and Jews lived side by side, and their places of worship still stand within a few streets of each other: the Greek Orthodox Church of Hagios Phokas, the Armenian Surp Asdvadzadzin Church and the Etz Ahayim Synagogue.

In 1556 Mimar Sinan built the Hüsrev Kethüda Hamam here, a sign of the village's growing importance. During the 18th and 19th centuries the shore filled with wooden yalı mansions and palace buildings, including the Esma Sultan Mansion and the Feriye Palaces that served the nearby Çırağan Palace.

The village's landmark, the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque, better known as the Ortaköy Mosque, was built in 1854–1856 for Sultan Abdülmecid by the architect Nigoğos Balyan. Its tall windows, slender minarets and Neo-Baroque details make it one of the most photographed buildings in Istanbul, especially with the bridge rising behind it. The mosque was extensively restored and reopened in 2014.

In 1973 the Bosphorus Bridge – renamed the July 15 Martyrs Bridge in 2016 – opened just north of the village, linking Europe and Asia for the first time by road. From the 1980s Ortaköy became a weekend hangout for artists and students, with craft stalls, cafés and its now-famous kumpir and waffle stands. Today it combines a village feel by day with some of Istanbul's best-known waterfront nightlife after dark.

Begin at the waterfront square beside the mosque. Step inside to see the bright interior and calligraphy, then walk to the end of the pier for the classic photograph of the mosque framed by the bridge. Sunset and the blue hour are the best times.

Ortaköy is famous for street food. In the lane of stalls behind the square, vendors fill baked potatoes (kumpir) with butter, cheese and a dozen toppings, and waffle stands sit right next door. For a sit-down meal choose a fish restaurant or a Bosphorus-view café on the square, or have a traditional Turkish breakfast in the side streets.

At weekends artisans set up stalls selling jewellery, ceramics, scarves and souvenirs in the lanes around the square. Short Bosphorus boat trips leave from the pier, offering close views of the bridge, Çırağan Palace and the yalı mansions. Walk south along Çırağan Avenue to Yıldız Park and Beşiktaş, or north along the coast to Kuruçeşme, Arnavutköy and Bebek.

In the evening, waterfront clubs and lounges between Ortaköy and Kuruçeşme draw a stylish crowd, while the village itself stays relaxed with tea gardens and cafés.

Photographers should also walk a few minutes north along the shore: the small park beside the bridge offers a different angle on the mosque and passing ships, and is quieter than the main square at sunset.

Ortaköy has no metro station. Frequent buses run along the coast road from Kabataş and Beşiktaş in about 10–15 minutes, or you can walk from Beşiktaş along Çırağan Avenue in around half an hour. Taxis from Taksim take 15–25 minutes depending on traffic.

The mosque is free to visit outside prayer times; women should cover their hair and everyone should cover shoulders and knees. Weekends are very crowded, especially on sunny afternoons, so come on a weekday morning for a quieter visit. Evening traffic on the coast road can be heavy.