ThePrinces' Islands (Turkish:Prens Adaları; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes",Greek:Πριγκηπονήσια,Pringiponisia), officially justAdalar (English:Islands); alternatively thePrinces' Archipelago; is anarchipelago of nine islands off the coast ofIstanbul, Turkey, in theSea of Marmara. These constitute the municipality anddistrict of Adalar withinIstanbul Province. With a total land area of 11 km2 (4.2 sq mi), it is the fifth smallestdistrict in Istanbul[2] and, with a permanent population of 16,690 (2022), by far the least populous district in Istanbul.[1]
There are several references to the islands in the ancient Greek period, when they went by the nameΔημόνησοι (Dēmónēsoi), often transliterated asDemonesi orDemonisi.[3][4] During theMiddle Byzantine period the archipelago has been recorded by the 6th century lexicographerHesychius of Alexandria asΔημόνησοι (Dēmónēsoi), meaning "demon's islands" inMedieval Greek. In 1795 German cartographerFranz Ludwig Güssefeld recorded the islands under the namePapadónisi, meaning "priest's islands".
According toSevan Nişanyan there has not been a historical proper name for the islands in the Turkish language.[5]
During the period of theByzantine Empire, out-of-favor princes and other royalty wereexiled on the islands. After 1453, members of the Ottoman sultans' family were exiled there too, hence the island's present name. The Ottoman fleet captured the islands during the siege ofConstantinople in 1453.
During the nineteenth century, the islands became a popular resort for Istanbul's wealthy, andVictorian-era cottages and houses are still preserved on the largest of the Princes' Islands. According to theOttoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, thekaza of the Princes' Islands (Adalar) had a total population of 7,937, consisting of 5,501 Greeks, 533 Armenians, 254 Muslims, 133 Catholics, 65Jews, 27Latins, 7Protestants, 3Bulgarians and 1.404 foreign citizens.[6]
TheHalki seminary, formally the Theological School of Halki (Greek: Θεολογική Σχολή Χάλκης and Turkish: Ortodoks Ruhban Okulu), was founded on 1 October 1844 on the island of Halki (Turkish: Heybeliada), the second-largest of the Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara.[7] It was the main school of theology of theEastern Orthodox Church'sEcumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople until the Turkish parliament enacted a law banning private higher-education institutions in 1971.[citation needed] The theological school is located at the top of the island's Hill of Hope, on the site of the Byzantine-era Monastery of the Holy Trinity. The premises of the school continue to be maintained by the monastery and are used to host conferences. It is possible to visit the island where it is located via boat in approximately one hour from the shore of Istanbul.[citation needed]
In 1912 the islands had a population of 10,250Greeks and 670Turks.[8] The islands have become more and more ethnically Turkish in character due to the influx of wealthy Turkishjetsetters, a process which began in the 1920s in the first days of the Turkish Republic when the British Yacht Club on Büyükada was appropriated as Anadolu Kulübü for Turkish parliamentarians to enjoy Istanbul in the summer. The islands are an interesting anomaly because they allow for a very rare, albeit incomplete, insight into a multicultural society in modern Turkey, possibly[original research?] akin to the multicultural society that once existed during theOttoman Empire in places such as nearby Istanbul/Constantinople. Prior to the 1950s, each of the inhabited islands had significant communities of ethnic minorities of Turkey, which is now the case to a much smaller extent. Since the vast majority of the residents and visitors are Turkish, today the minority legacy is of cultural rather than demographic importance.
Princes' Islands are located in theSea of Marmara, near the coast of southeastern Istanbul. The distance from the Istanbul mainland changes between 13 and 25 km (8.1 and 15.5 mi), the closest beingKınalıada and farthest beingTavşanadası. ExcludingYassıada,Sivriada and Tavşanadası, all of the archipelago is located on a 12-kilometre-long (7.5 mi) line running from northwest (Kınalıada) to southeast (Sedefadası).
The island chain consists of four larger islands,Büyükada ("Big Island") with an area of 5.46 km2 (2.11 sq mi),Heybeliada ("Saddlebag Island") with an area of 2.4 km2 (0.93 sq mi),Burgazada ("Fortress Island") with an area of 1.5 km2 (0.58 sq mi),Kınalıada ("Henna Island") with an area of 1.3 km2 (0.50 sq mi), and five much smaller ones,Sedef Adası ("Mother-of-Pearl Island") with an area of 0.157 km2 (0.061 sq mi),Yassıada ("Flat Island") with an area of 0.05 km2 (0.019 sq mi),Sivriada ("Sharp Island") with an area of 0.4 km2 (0.15 sq mi),Kaşık Adası ("Spoon Island") with an area of 0.6 km2 (0.23 sq mi), andTavşan Adası ("Rabbit Island") with an area of 0.4 km2 (0.15 sq mi).
All islands contain hills, the highest being Büyükada's Aya Yorgi Hill with 203 meters of elevation.
One of numerousOttoman-era mansions which line the streets ofBüyükada
Büyükada (meaning "Big Island" inTurkish;Greek:Πρίγκηπος,romanized: Prínkēpos) is the largest of the nine islands comprising the Princes' Islands in theMarmara Sea, close toIstanbul.As on the other islands, motorized vehicles – except service vehicles – are forbidden, so visitors explore the island by foot; by riding a bicycle (numerous bicycle shops rent them with hourly prices); or in battery powered electric vehicles which function like taxi cabs, also offering "round-the-island" sightseeing tours. Until 2020 there were horse-drawn carriages on the island, but these were phased out due to a serious equine disease.A convent on Büyükada was the place of exile for the Byzantine empressesIrene,Euphrosyne,Theophano,Zoe andAnna Dalassena. After his deportation from theSoviet Union in February 1929,Leon Trotsky also stayed for four years on Büyükada, his first station in exile. Fahrünissa Şakir (known asPrincess Fahrelnissa Zeid after her second marriage) was born on the island.There are several historical buildings on Büyükada, such as the Ayia Yorgi Church and Monastery dating back to the sixth century, the Ayios Dimitrios Church, and the Hamidiye Mosque built byAbdul Hamid II. Büyükada consists of two peaks. The one nearest theiskele (ferry landing), Hristos, is topped by the former Greek Orphanage, a huge wooden building now known as the Prinkipo Environmental Center.[9] In the valley between the two hills sit the church and monastery of Ayios Nikolaos and a former fairground called Luna Park. Visitors can take the 'small tour' of the island byhorse-drawn vehicle, leading to this point, from where it is an easy climb to Ayia Yorgi, a tiny church with a café on the grounds serving wine, chips and sausage sandwiches, this being part of the "classic" Ayia Yorgi (St. George, in Greek: Άγιος Γεώργιος) experience.
Heybeliada (meaning "Saddlebag Island" inTurkish;Greek:Χάλκη,romanized: Chalkē, also renderedHalki) is the second largest of the Princes' Islands in theSea of Marmara. It is a neighbourhood in the Adalar district ofIstanbul. The large Naval Cadet School overlooks the jetty to the left as you get off the ferry. There are two interesting pieces of architecture on the grounds of the school. One is Kamariotissa, the only remainingByzantine church on the island, and more importantly the last church to be built before the conquest ofConstantinople. The other is the grave of the second English Ambassador to be sent to Constantinople byElizabeth I of England,Edward Barton, who chose to live on Heybeli to escape the bustle of the city.To the right of the jetty lies the town with its bars and cafes, a hotel that stays open all year round, and many lovely wooden houses.At the top of the central mountain is an eleventh-centuryGreek Orthodoxmonastery, it houses theHalki seminary, the only Greek Orthodoxseminary in Turkey and Theological Seminary of theEcumenical Patriarchate closed by the Turkish Government in 1971, after the ban on private higher-education institutions passed the Parliament. The monastery attracts tourists from all overGreece andTurkey, and despite the Turkish Government's promise to reopen the seminary, it still remains closed.To prevent the island from becoming polluted, the only motorized vehicles permitted on the island are service vehicles such as ambulances, fire trucks, police cars, and the like. The only forms of transport are byfoot,horse and buggy andservice transport. There is no airport; the only way of getting there is by boat.The winter population of the island is around 3,000, but in the summer, the owners of the summer houses return and the population swells to 10,000. The main summer attractions are small-scale open-air concerts sponsored by the local council, a swimming and fitness club next to the sea, and an annual Independence Day march, which is commemorated by a resident naval band touring the island.
Burgazada (meaning "Fortress Island" inTurkish;Greek:Ἀντιγόνη,romanized: Antigonē) is the third largest of the Islands, a single hill 2 km across.Demetrius I of Macedon, one of theDiadochi (Successors) ofAlexander the Great, built a fort here and named it after his fatherAntigonus I Monophthalmus. The island took this name, but today is generally known by the Turks simply as "Burgaz" (Turkish for "fort"). In 2003 Burgaz suffered a forest fire, losing 4 square kilometres of woodland.Burgaz is a common setting and even a major theme for writerSait Faik Abasıyanık, where he also resided. Today, his residence is kept as a museum. At his favourite restaurant in Kalpazankaya (the counterfeiter's rock) one will also find his bronze statue enjoying the view with a glass ofrakı freshly filled everyday by the restaurant owners. Until the mid-20th century, Burgazada was predominantlyJewish.
Kınalıada (meaning "Henna Island" inTurkish, named after the colour of its earth;Greek:Πρώτη,romanized: Prōtē, "First") is the nearest island to the European and Asian side of Istanbul, about 12 kilometres (7 mi) to the south. This is one of the least forested islands, and the land has a reddish colour from the iron and copper that has been mined here. This was the island most used as a place of exile inByzantine times (the most notable exile being the former emperorsRomanos I Lekapenos from 944, andRomanos IV Diogenes, after theBattle of Manzikert, 1071). Also, this island has a historical abbey top of it. From the 19th century to the mid-20th century, Kınalıada was predominantly Armenian, giving it the highest density of Armenians living anywhere in Istanbul, albeit mainly in summer homes. During the summer, approximately 90% of the population on the island was Armenian.[10][11] The island was also a summer retreat for the Armenian patriarchs of Istanbul.The islands are reachable by ferry services that depart fromKabataş on the European side. The voyage takes about 25 minutes by fast ferry and 40 minutes by regular ferry (vapur).
Sedef Island, (Turkish:Sedef Adası, meaning "Mother-of-Pearl Island" inTurkish;Greek:Τερέβινθος,romanized: Terebinthos, also in the modern corrupted form Αντιρόβυθος,Antirovythos) is one of the smallest islands of the archipelago, and has 108 private homes. The section that's open to the general public largely consists of a beach hamlet. The island is mostly private property and the current pine forests were largely planted by its owner Şehsuvar Menemencioğlu, who purchased the island in 1956 and also played an important role in the imposition of a strict building code to make sure that the island's nature and environment will be protected. He has forbidden the building of structures with more than 2 floors.The island's Greek name, Terebinthos, means "terebinth", which suggests a significant presence of the terebinth in earlier times. In 857 ADPatriarch Ignatios of Constantinople was exiled to the island and imprisoned for 10 years before being re-elected as Patriarch in 867 AD.
Yassıada (meaning "Flat Island" inTurkish;Greek:Πλάτη,romanized: Platē) was used by theByzantines for sending prominent figures into exile. One such person was theArmenianPatriarch (Catholicos)Narses who was first sent to this island before being imprisoned atBüyükada in the 4th century AD. In the 11th century AD the Byzantines used the island for political prisoners. The remains of the 4 underground prison cells from this period can still be seen. The Byzantines also built a monastery and church on the island. Yassıada (Plati) was captured by the Latin Crusaders during theFourth Crusade in 1204.In 1857, Yassıada was purchased by the British ambassadorHenry Bulwer, brother of novelistEdward Bulwer-Lytton, who built himself a mansion and a number of other structures to live undisturbed on this distant island. Henry Bulwer also organized agricultural production on the island to self-sustain his little realm at least to a certain degree, but later sold Yassıada to theKhedive ofOttoman Egypt and Sudan,Ismail Pasha; who, however, didn't construct any new buildings and completely neglected the island.With the establishment of theRepublic of Turkey in 1923, the island became a property of the Turkish state, and in 1947 Yassıada was handed over to theTurkish Navy which built several school buildings. Between 1960 and 1961, these school buildings became the venue for the trials of the members of the former ruling party,Demokrat Parti, after themilitary coup of 1960. Several of the defendants were sentenced to death, and three of these, including the former Prime MinisterAdnan Menderes, were taken toİmralı Island (further southwest, near the southern shoreline of the Sea of Marmara) and executed in 1961.After the end of the trials, Yassıada was given back to the Turkish Navy and lessons continued to take place at the naval school buildings until 1978.In 1993, the island became the property ofIstanbul University's department of Marine Life and Sea Products, which used it for lessons and research. However, the strong winds on the island made life difficult for the students and eventually classes were held elsewhere.Today, the island is a favourite location forscuba diving schools like Balıkadam Türkiye[12] as well as amateur divers.
Sivriada (meaning "Sharp Island" inTurkish;Greek:Ὀξεία,romanized: Oxeia) currently is deserted. The island was often used by theByzantine clerics as a distant place for peaceful worship, and by the Byzantine emperors as a convenient prison to detain prominent people whom they deemed troublesome. The first famous person to be imprisoned on the island by the order of emperorNikephoros I wasPlato of Sakkoudion, the uncle of renowned clericTheodoros Stoudites, for supporting his nephew in his conflict with the emperor. Other famous people who stayed in the island for religious and political reasons were Gebon,Basil Skleros,Nikephoritzes (the chief minister ofMichael VII Doukas), Patriarch John of Constantinople andPatriarch Michael II of Constantinople. The graves of those who died in the island during the Byzantine period can still be seen today.The ruins of aRoman settlement and a ninth-century Byzantine monastery can still be seen on the shore, close to the fishermen's shelter, a small wharf which is often used by yachts. The most important buildings on the island were built in the ninth century AD, including a church, a chapel dedicated to religious martyrs, a monastery on the eastern end (with its walls still seen today) and a cistern in the center of the island (a part of which can still be seen).
Kaşık Island, (meaning "Spoon Island" inTurkish;Greek:Πίτα,romanized: Pita) is located between the islands ofBurgazada andHeybeliada. Kaşık Adası is officially administered by theBurgazada neighborhood in the Adalar district ofIstanbul. It is the second-smallest of the Princes' Islands, with an area of 0.006 km2 (0.0023 sq mi).
Tavşan Adası (meaning "Rabbit Island" inTurkish;Greek:Νέανδρος,romanized: Neandros, the name of a mythological figure) is the smallest of the Princes' Islands, with an area of 0.004 km2 (0.0015 sq mi).
TheVordonos Islands, which were 700 meters away from the Istanbul mainland, were hypothesized to be almost fully submerged during the1010 earthquake, though this has been contested by citing a 1770 drawing of the islands inThe Gentleman's Magazine. Twoskerries that are located off the coast ofDragos andKüçükyalı have been identified with the sunken islands of Vordonosi. The skerries currently contain two lighthouses to ward off ships against shallow waters.[13][14]
The mayor of theAdalar district isErdem Gül of theCHP. Historically Recep Koç (ANAP, 1984-1994), Can Esen (ANAP, 1994-1999), Coşkun Özden (ANAP, afterwardsAKP 1999-2009), Mustafa Farsakoğlu (CHP, 2009-2014) and Atilla Aytaç (CHP, 2014-2019) had been mayors of the district. Theprovincial governor is Mevlüt Kurban. In the2023 Turkish presidential election the district voted overwhelmingly for theKemal Kılıçdaroğlu with more than 74% of the votes cast for him.[15]
During the summer months, the Princes' Islands are popular destinations for day trips from Istanbul. As for cultural tourism, Büyükada happens to have the first and only city museum in İstanbul, the Museum of the Princes' Islands in Aya Nikola Bay.
As there is almost no motor traffic on the Islands, the only transport being bicycles and horse and cart, they are more peaceful than the city of Istanbul. They are just a short ferry ride from Istanbul, with ferries departing fromBostancı,Kadıköy,Kartal andMaltepe on the Asian side, and fromBeşiktaş andKabataş on the European side. Most ferries call in turn at the four largest of the nine islands:Kınalıada,Burgazada,Heybeliada and, finally,Büyükada. Ferry and ship services are provided by six different companies.In spring and autumn, the islands are quieter and more pleasant, although the sea can be rough in spring, autumn and winter, and the islands are sometimes cut off from the outside world when the ferry services are cancelled due to storms and high waves. During winter, with the addition of the biting cold and the strong winds and the resulting ferry cancellations, the islands become almost deserted.
Many Turks fondly remember the Islands as the home of the famous short-story writerSait Faik Abasıyanık (1906-1954) and of the football legendLefter Küçükandonyadis (1925-2012).
After the deportation ofLeon Trotsky from theSoviet Union in February 1929, his first residence in exile was a house in Büyükada, the largest of the Princes' Islands; he lived there for four years between 1929 and 1933.
Famous Armenian writers and poets have lived on the islands, includingZahrad (1924-2007) andZabel Sibil Asadour (1863-1934), both of whom lived in Kınalıada.[18]
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