The district includes a number of important sites along the European shore of the Bosphorus, fromDolmabahçe Palace in the south to theBebek area in the north. It is also home to many inland (and relatively expensive, upper-middle class) neighborhoods such asLevent andEtiler. Some of its other well-known neighborhoods includeYıldız,Kuruçeşme,Ortaköy, andArnavutköy.
Beşiktaş' historic commercial centre is the Beşiktaş quarter andÇarşı (literally, "marketplace"),[4] which adjoins the small Abbasağa Park. The district is home to the oldest sports club and powerhouseBeşiktaş and its stadium,Beşiktaş Park. Running in the north–south direction,Barbaros Boulevard is a major feeder road for the inner-city motorwayOtoyol 1 and theBosphorus Bridge, terminating at the important public transport hub ofZincirlikuyu.Büyükdere Avenue also runs through the district.
Although it is a relatively small district of Istanbul, both in terms of population and area, Beşiktaş is one of the city's most important areas due to its business and shopping areas, historic sites, universities, scenic views of the Bosphorus strait, and feeder roads for theBosphorus andFatih Sultan Mehmet bridges passing through it. The district is also the leading financial center of Turkey.[5]
In a 2013 ranking ofTurkish districts, Beşiktaş placed first overall due to its highquality of life, prosperity, and cultural level.[6] Beşiktaş is also the highest ranking Turkish district in terms of theHuman Development Index, with an HDI of 0.864, while also ranking first in the individual indexes for income and education.[7][8] The municipality is taking part in the Cities4Europe campaign[9] and has qualified as a "European 12 Star City".[10]
The district takes its name from the Beşiktaş quarter located in the modern-day Sinanpaşa neighborhood. Along withÇarşı, this historic center is sometimes referred to asKöyiçi (roughly "inner village") by locals.
According to one story, there was a Byzantine church in modern-day Beşiktaş with the name Kounopetra,Greek for "stone cradle". The church was built to honor arelic, a stone reportedly taken from thestable inBethlehem where Jesus was born. This stone was later relocated toHagia Sophia and disappeared during theFourth Crusade, possibly to be sold in Europe's relics market.[11]
Another story states that a cleric from aSaint Menas (Aya Menas) Church where Beşiktaş now is returned from apilgrimage toJerusalem with a cradle-shaped stone used in thebaptism of Jesus and placed it in the church.[12]
One other explanation is that the name is a corruption ofbeş taş, Turkish for "five stones", referring to the five stone pillars built to moor ships byBarbarossa Hayreddin Pasha.[12]
Beşiktaş circa 1850New Istanbul Naval Museum building
The Bosphorus has been settled for a long time, and there are many places of historical interest in Beşiktaş. The area is believed to have been settled byConstantine the Great during his reign (306–337CE).[5] This stretch of the Bosphorus shore is somewhat sheltered from the strong northeasterly winds that bring storms to Istanbul, and thus it forms an ideal mooring place for ships.
InByzantine times, the area was calledDiplokionion, meaning "double pillar" inGreek, as it was the location of a set of twin pillars marking a key entry from the water into Constantinople. These columns would later provide the model for the twin pillars at the water's edge inVenice.[13]
In ancient times the villages on the Bosphorus shore were isolated communities in the forest that lined the water-side. The Bosphorus, however, was prominent in the history and mythology of the ancient Greeks, and villages like Beşiktaş would have had their place in traditional tales such asJason and theArgonauts. In theByzantine era, churches and a monastery were built and the tradition of having a summer palace on the Bosphorus was begun by the Byzantines with their Ayios Mamas palace complex. The Bosphorus settlements, however, being outside the city walls, were vulnerable to raiders from theBlack Sea coasts, and little of this architecture or the statuary that would have decorated it so gloriously has survived.
In theOttoman period, once the Sultans had established control of the Black Sea coasts, the Ottoman navy was docked in the Bosphorus and the Bosphorus villages became safe and attractive again. One man, in particular, the sailorBarbarossa Hayreddin, built his palace and mosque in Beşiktaş, making it his home. By now Beşiktaş was an established Bosphorus crossing for caravans trading acrossAnatolia and along theSilk Road, and for Ottoman armies.
According to Ottoman estimations of 1882, the district of Beşiktaş had a total population of 28,777, consisting of 10,753 Muslims, 9,248Greeks, 4,897Armenians, 3,057Jews, 601Catholics, 203Bulgarians and 18Latins.[14]
This coast was very attractive to the Ottoman rulers, who built hunting lodges and then great palaces in the area, and the Beşiktaş district today contains some of the most important and grand Ottoman buildings. The area was thus the scene of great intrigues of the late Ottoman period such as thedethronement ofSultanAbdülaziz atDolmabahçe Palace in a coup in 1876, the announcement of the founding of the Ottoman parliament in 1908, and the deposing of SultanAbdul Hamid II atYıldız Palace in 1909.[15]
Following the foundation of theTurkish Republic in 1923, the Ottoman ruling family was deported and the palaces and mansions along the coast were emptied. Some were given to new government ministries, some used as schools and other public buildings, others burnt down or were demolished.[16]
Today, it is widely accepted by the residents of the area that the most significant resident of Beşiktaş wasZübeyde Hanım, the mother ofMustafa Kemal Atatürk, who lived in the old quarter at the heart of Beşiktaş, literally right next to the then headquarters ofBeşiktaş J.K.[17]
Besides the more historic areas such asYıldız,Ortaköy,Kuruçeşme,Arnavutköy,Bebek, many residential areas in the district started to form around the 1950s. For example, the foundations ofLevent (named after the Levent Farm previously located there) were established in the 1950s when construction began on a prestigious suburban mass housing project.[18] TheEtiler, Konaklar, Akatlar, Nisbetiye, Levazım and Kültür neighborhoods followed soon after.
In2016 and2017, there were two terror attacks in the district. One was outside astadium and the other was at a nightclub.[19] The site of the 2016 attack has been commemorated as the10 December Martyrs Park.[20]
Beşiktaş experiences ahumid subtropical climate (Cfa/Cf) according to bothKöppen andTrewartha climate classifications, with cool winters and warm to hot summers. As its location in the middle of coastal Istanbul suggests, it has a transitional climate between theoceanic climate to the north, and theMediterranean climate to the south, and is a good average of climates across Istanbul. It is classified asUSDA hardiness zone 9a, and AHS heat zone 3.[21]
Climate data forKireçburnu,[a] Istanbul (normals 1991–2020, precipitation days and sunshine 1981-2010, snowy days 1996-2011)
Beşiktaş is located on the European side ofIstanbul Province. It became an independent district in 1930 after its separation fromBeyoğlu, and the municipal government was founded in 1984.[5] The district is composed of 23 neighbourhoods:[26]
Ulus is located within the top half of Ortaköy on this antiquated map. It had been a part of Ortaköy until 1988.
Aşiyan: Located between Bebek andRumelihisarı. The Turkish poetTevfik Fikret used to live in a house on the hillside, which is now a museum. The neighborhoods name, meaning nest in Persian, derives from this house.[27]
Bebek: The origins for Bebek's name go back to theConquest of Istanbul. The exact origin of the name, which literally means 'baby', is unknown, but some speculate that it comes from the Turkish saying 'pretty as a baby'. Bebek has been an affluent district dotted with yalıs and hillside mansions since the 18th century. Today it is still a very expensive neighborhood filled with cafés, restaurants and shops catering to the elite of Istanbul. It is also famous for itsbadem ezmesi.[28]
Beşiktaş [tr]: One of Istanbul's oldest quarters and the origin of the district's name. One of the main commercial district of Istanbul. It is known for its cafés, bakeries,meyhanes (pubs), night clubs and fish restaurants. The area itself is divided between Çarşı on the east and Akaretler on the west. Both are part of the Sinanpaşa neighborhood. Çarşı (literally marketplace) is home toBeşiktaş Çarşı, Barbaros Square and theIstanbul Naval Museum.
Dolmabahçe: Located south of Valideçeşme and north ofKabataş. Today it is administratively part of the Vişnezade neighborhood. Its name comes from theDolmabahçe Palace. TheBJK Inönü Stadium is located here.
Kuruçeşme: Located along the Bosphorus and known for its mansions. Many expensive restaurants and clubs are located on the coast here.
Ortaköy: Known today for its iconic mosque and square. Historically a multicultural area. It is famous for itskumpir.
Valideçeşme: Located immediately west of Akaretler. Today it is a part of the Vişnezade neighborhood.
TheLevent neighborhood is home to many modern shopping malls and office buildings. Some of Turkey's tallest buildings are located in the area, alongBüyükdere Avenue.
With theOttoman dynasty's settlement inDolmabahçe in the 17th century and many workers eventually settling in houses and mansions in Beşiktaş, many shopping places likeÇarşı popped up, helping the area to be a developing economic center. But with the proclamation of theRepublic of Turkey, and the capital being moved toAnkara, Beşiktaş's economic development came to a halt.
In the 1950s with the birth of theLevent andEtiler neighborhoods, and the construction ofBarbaros Boulevard.[29] The district started growing back and eventually transportation levels in the neighborhoods rose, and with the construction of theBosphorus Bridge in 1973, many businesses centers and shopping malls got constructed and the district became a business district and tourism, with many skyscrapers and hotels like theSabancı Center andIsbank Towers eventually getting built.[citation needed]
The area gives its name to Turkey's oldest sports club,Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club), founded in 1903. The club'sfootball team is one of the top three in Turkey, having won 16Turkish Super League titles and participating regularly in theUEFA Champions League andEuropa League. The team played their home games at the historicİnönü Stadium, which was demolished in 2013 and replaced on the same grounds by the 42,590 seatBeşiktaş Stadium. There areBeşiktaş Museum Turkey's largest sport museum located in the stadium. The stadium is near Dolmabahçe Palace at the shore of the Bosphorus. The football team wears black and white shirts and is nicknamed the Black Eagles. The club has earned notoriety for its faithful fans, who have broken volume records with 132 decibel cheers.[31][32]BJK Akatlar Arena is the home of the basketball team. The club's most famous supporter group is calledÇarşı, and is known for its involvement in social and political issues.
Besides Beşiktaş JK, the district is also home to the smaller yet historicOrtaköy SK. The Istanbul Specialized Swimming Club was the first specialized swimming club in the country.[citation needed] In addition, there are a number of other amateur sports clubs and Levent Tennis Club.
Many of the notable sporting facilities in the district belong to Beşiktaş JK; such as Beşiktaş Stadium, BJK Akatlar Arena,Süleyman Seba Sports Centre, Fulya Training Facilities andÇilekli Football Field.
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Beşiktaş is an important transport hub withferries going to the Asian side and dozens of buses departing from the area. There are ferries toKadıköy,Eminönü,Üsküdar,Adalar,Sarıyer and the coastal towns ofBeykoz.
The municipality is an associated partner ofEurocities and is involved in a number of working groups ranging from urban ageing to migration and integration.[46] It is also a part of the Cities4Europe campaign.[9]
Beşiktaş was awarded the '12 Star City' title for 2016 and 2017 by theCouncil of Europe.[10]
^Stratton, Arthur (1972).Sinan: Biography of One of the World's Greatest Architects and a Portrait of the Golden Age of the Ottoman Empire. Macmillan Publishers.ISBN0-333-02901-1.
^abHürel, Haldun (2008).Semtleri, Mahalleri, Caddeleri ve Sokakları A'dan Z'ye İstanbul'un Alfabetik Öyküsü: "An A to Z guide to Istanbul; Districts, Neighbourhoods, Roads and Streets". İkarus.ISBN978-975-999-290-3. Page 82.
^Fabio Barry, 'Disiecta Membra' in Henry Maguire and Robert S. Nelson (eds.) San Marco, Byzantium, and the Myths of Venice (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2010) p.11
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