Anadolu Kavağı (sometimes written as Anadolukavağı), is a neighbourhood at the northern end of the

Bosphorus The Bosporus Strait (; grc, Βόσπορος ; tr, İstanbul Boğazı 'Istanbul strait', colloquially ''Boğaz'') or Bosphorus Strait is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul in northwestern Tu ...

in the Beykoz district of

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, Turkey. "Anadolu" is the

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

name for

Anatolia Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...

, and "kavak" meant "control post" in Ottoman Turkish, suggesting the strategic importance of its location. It is directly across from

Rumeli Kavağı Rumelia ( ota, روم ايلى, Rum İli; tr, Rumeli; el, Ρωμυλία), etymologically "Land of the Romans", at the time meaning Eastern Orthodox Christians and more specifically Christians from the Byzantine rite, was the name of a hist ...

, the Greek or European control post on the other side of the Bosphorus. Anadolu Kavağı was originally called Hieron ( grc, ἱερόν) and was an important outpost for the

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

and the Byzantines. It has been suggested that n the past some villagers acted as 'wreckers', lighting fires to disorient ships and ground them in the narrow Strait so that they could seize their cargo. Others claim that Anadolu Kavağı served as a refuge where trade ships could shelter from storms. Once a fishing village, it retains a village atmosphere and has many fish restaurants offering lunches for passengers on the longer Bosphorus cruises which usually terminate here. Although there are few permanent residents, the military personnel at surrounding bases contribute to a total population of about 2,000. The village's most prominent historic structures are a small mosque commissioned by Ali Pasha of Midilli (

Lesbos Lesbos or Lesvos ( el, Λέσβος, Lésvos ) is a Greek island located in the northeastern Aegean Sea. It has an area of with approximately of coastline, making it the third largest island in Greece. It is separated from Anatolia, Asia Minor ...

) in 1593, and a fountain commissioned by Cevriye Hatun in 1785. Ruinous

Yoros Castle Yoros Castle ( tr, Yoros Kalesi) is a ruined castle dating back to Byzantine times that stands above the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea, to the north of Joshua's Hill, in Beykoz district, Istanbul, Turkey. It is commonly referred t ...

, an old Genoese fortress, stands on the hill above Anadolu Kavağı. From its walls there are fine views out towards the

Third Bosphorus Bridge The Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge ( tr, Yavuz Sultan Selim Köprüsü) is a bridge for rail and motor vehicle transit over the Bosphorus strait, to the north of two existing suspension bridges in Istanbul, Turkey. It was initially named the Third ...

and the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, Roma ...

Şehir Hatları The city of Istanbul is at a geographic crossroads, straddling Europe and Asia Minor, and is divided by a sea lane called the Bosphorus Strait, which joins the Black Sea in the northeast and the Marmara Sea in the southwest. This strait has play ...

, the city ferry company, offers sailings to and from

Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a large and densely populated district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered to the north by Beykoz, to the east by Ümraniye, to the southeast by Ataşehir and to the south by Kadıköy; w ...

and points in between. The twice-daily long Bosphorus ferry services leave

Eminönü Eminönü is a predominantly commercial waterfront area of Istanbul within the Fatih district near the confluence of the Golden Horn with the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait and the Sea of Marmara. It is connected to Karaköy (historic G ...

for Anadolu Kavağı, calling in at points en route including

Sarıyer Sarıyer () is the northernmost district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of the city. It consists of the neighbourhoods of Rumelifeneri, Tarabya, Yeniköy, İstinye, Emirgan and Rumelihisarı. Sarıyer also administers the Black Sea c ...

and

on the European shore of the Bosphorus. The village is also served by an hourly bus service from Üsküdar.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anadolukavagi Neighbourhoods of Beykoz Bosphorus