Kadıköy is the heart of Istanbul's Asian shore and the neighbourhood where Istanbulites come to eat, shop and go out. It has no imperial monuments. What it has instead is a market, meyhanes (taverns), bookshops, murals, a nostalgic tram and, in Moda, a seafront promenade with the best sunset over the historic peninsula.
The ferry gets you there in 20 minutes, and the crossing is part of the fun. It's the trip I recommend to anyone with three or more days who wants to see the city people live in, not just the one they visit.
A little history
This was Chalcedon, the Greek colony founded before Byzantium. Legend has it that the oracle of Delphi sent the founders of Byzantium to settle "opposite the blind", because the people of Chalcedon had failed to see the far better site across the water. In 451 it hosted a Church council, the Council of Chalcedon. In the 19th century it became a residential district for well-to-do Ottoman, Greek and Armenian families, with wooden houses and gardens, a few of which survive in Moda. In the 20th century it turned into a middle-class, student and left-leaning neighbourhood, and it has kept that atmosphere to this day.
What to see in Kadıköy
The market
From the ferry pier you walk straight into the market streets: fishmongers with sea bass and anchovies on ice, pickle shops selling glasses of pickle juice, cheeses from Kars, olives, pastries and the Baylan patisserie, founded in 1923. There are simple canteens where the fishmongers themselves have lunch, and meze restaurants that serve from midday. It's the part I most enjoy showing on a food tour. Saturday morning is when it's at its liveliest, with families doing their weekly shop.
Bahariye Street and the tram
The neighbourhood's pedestrian street, with the nostalgic tram that loops round to Moda, cinemas, cafés and the bull statue that everyone uses as a meeting point.
Moda and its seafront
A neighbourhood of tree-lined streets that runs down to the Sea of Marmara. The promenade, with lawns and benches facing the water, fills up at sunset with locals bringing tea, beer and guitars; the view is of the historic peninsula, with the sun going down behind the mosques. Moda's ice-cream parlour is a local institution. On a fine day you can carry on along the shore to the Fenerbahçe lighthouse: allow about an hour there and back.
Yeldeğirmeni and the murals
The old quarter towards Haydarpaşa, with murals by artists from all over the world covering the side walls of its buildings, plus workshops, speciality coffee shops and one of the best bakeries in the city. Behind it rises Haydarpaşa station, the German-built terminus of 1908 for the railway to Baghdad.
Kadife Sokak, the bar street
After dark this is the street for bars, with terraces, live music and a student crowd. It's where I end many evening tours with younger groups.
Tips for your visit
Allow an afternoon: three to four hours, including the ferry. It's all flat and easy on foot, apart from the gentle climb up to Moda.
- Take the ferry over in the middle of the afternoon and come back after sunset: crossing the Bosphorus with the city lights on is one of the best things you can do in Istanbul.
- Eat in the market, not on the waterfront: the food is better and cheaper.
- On Tuesdays and Fridays there are street markets in the surrounding neighbourhoods, worth a look if you like street markets.
Tickets and prices
Everything is free: it's a neighbourhood, not a sight with a ticket office. The ferry is paid with the Istanbulkart, the city's transport card, at the standard fare. On my tours I bring the transport cards and choose where we eat.
Where it is and how to get there
By ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy: about 20 minutes, with departures every 15 to 20 minutes. You can also take the Marmaray, the train that runs under the Bosphorus, from Sirkeci to Ayrılık Çeşmesi, or the metro from elsewhere on the Asian side.
How we visit it on my tours
Kadıköy fills the afternoon of the Asian Istanbul tour, after Üsküdar, the Maiden's Tower and Kuzguncuk. For ideas on what to order once you're there, have a look at what to eat in Istanbul.
If you'd like an afternoon in Kadıköy as part of your trip, tell me what you have in mind and I'll build it in.