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Ortaköy ( ''Middle Village)'' is a neighbourhood within the
Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...
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 Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, on the
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an shore 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 ...
. it was originally a small fishing village, known in
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
as Agios Fokas (Άγιος Φωκάς) in the
Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...
period and then as Mesachorion (Μεσαχώριον, meaning 'Middle Village'). During the Ottoman era and into the first decades of the Turkish Republic, Ortaköy was a cosmopolitan place with communities of
Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...
,
Greeks The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser extent, oth ...
,
Armenians Armenians ( hy, հայեր, ''hayer'' ) are an ethnic group native to the Armenian highlands of Western Asia. Armenians constitute the main population of Armenia and the ''de facto'' independent Artsakh. There is a wide-ranging diaspora ...
and
Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...
s. Today although the neighbourhood still retains a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
synagogue and
Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church (Greek language, Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the Eastern Orthodox Church, entire body of Orthodox (Chalced ...
church, it is almost entirely Turkish and Muslim. It is a popular tourist area, with small art galleries, expensive nightclubs, cafés, bars, and restaurants. There are several good educational establishments, such as
Kabataş Erkek Lisesi Kabataş may refer to: * Kabataş, Beyoğlu, a quarter in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey ** Kabataş (Istanbul Metro), a funicular railway station * Kabataş, Çine, a village in Aydın Province, Turkey * Kabataş, Kemaliye, a village in Erz ...
and
Galatasaray University Galatasaray University ( tr, Galatasaray Üniversitesi, french: Université Galatasaray) is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992, following an agreement signed in the presence of President François Mitterrand of France ...
, in Ortaköy. Ortaköy is not served by any trams or Metro stations. Although many buses run along the coastal road and pass through it, it is a notorious traffic bottleneck, especially at weekends.


History

Ortaköy had an important role in the daily life of the city during the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. In the 16th century, the Ottoman Sultan
Süleyman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...
encouraged Turks to move to Ortaköy, thereby beginning the Turkish presence in what had been a largely Greek neighbourhood. One of the oldest buildings in Ortaköy is the hamam (Turkish bath) that was built by the famous Ottoman architect
Mimar Sinan Mimar Sinan ( ota, معمار سينان, translit=Mi'mâr Sinân, , ) ( 1488–1490 – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha (title), Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman Empir ...
in 1556 (this is no longer in use). During the 19th century the British writer Emilia Hornby rented a house in Ortaköy and left a vivid description of life there in her ''Constantinople During the Crimean War'', published in 1863. After the establishment of
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
in 1948, most of the Jewish population emigrated. The riots of 1955 caused many members of Ortaköy's
Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
and
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
communities to leave as well. There are very few non-Muslims left today. The German architect
Bruno Taut Bruno Julius Florian Taut (4 May 1880 – 24 December 1938) was a renowned German architect, urban planner and author of Prussian Lithuanian heritage ("taut" means "nation" in Lithuanian). He was active during the Weimar period and is know ...
lived in a hillside house above Ortaköy that combined Japanese and European architectural styles to reflect his life in exile.
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
gave a speech in Ortaköy at the
Galatasaray University Galatasaray University ( tr, Galatasaray Üniversitesi, french: Université Galatasaray) is a Turkish university established in İstanbul, Turkey in 1992, following an agreement signed in the presence of President François Mitterrand of France ...
during the 2004 NATO Summit.


Terrorism

On 1 January 2017, Ortaköy was the scene of a deadly
terrorist attack Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...
at the Reina nightclub, where hundreds of people were celebrating the New Year. Thirty-nine people lost their lives. The club was closed down and demolished in May 2017.


Attractions

Ortaköy Mosque Ortaköy Mosque ( tr, Ortaköy Camii) or Büyük Mecidiye Camii () in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, is a mosque situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus. It was commissioned by the ...
is a particularly beautiful Neo-Baroque structure right beside the Bosphorus and visible from passing boats.The first version of the mosque was built in the 18th century but the current mosque, commissioned by Sultan
Abdülmecid I Abdulmejid I ( ota, عبد المجيد اول, ʿAbdü'l-Mecîd-i evvel, tr, I. Abdülmecid; 25 April 182325 June 1861) was the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire and succeeded his father Mahmud II on 2 July 1839. His reign was notable for the r ...
and designed by architects (father and son)
Garabet Amira Balyan Karapet or Garabet or Garabed is a common Armenian given name. They may refer to: *a pre-Christian Armenian thunder-god, Karapet Religion *Karabet ( hy, Կարապետ, link=no) or Garabed (Western Armenian), the Armenian name for '' prodromos'' ...
and
Nigoğayos Balyan The Balyan family ( hy, Պալեաններ; tr, Balyan ailesi or ''Palyan ailesi'') was a prominent Armenian family in the Ottoman Empire consisting of court architects in the service of Ottoman sultans and other members of the Ottoman dyna ...
in Neo-Baroque style, was built between 1854 and 1856. The mosque is very close to the European pylon of the
Bosphorus Bridge The Bosphorus Bridge ( tr, Boğaziçi Köprüsü), known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge ( tr, 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü) and unofficially as the First Bridge ( tr, Birinci Köprü), is one of the three suspension bridges spanning ...
(now officially renamed the
15 July Martyrs Bridge The Bosphorus Bridge ( tr, Boğaziçi Köprüsü), known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge ( tr, 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü) and unofficially as the First Bridge ( tr, Birinci Köprü), is one of the three suspension bridges spanning ...
), one of the three bridges that connect the European and Asian banks of İstanbul. The
Esma Sultan Mansion The Esma Sultan Mansion ( tr, Esma Sultan Yalısı), a historical yalı located on the Bosphorus in the Ortaköy neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey and named after its original owner Princess Esma Sultan, is used today as a cultural center after ...
(1875) also stands near the
Bosphorus Bridge The Bosphorus Bridge ( tr, Boğaziçi Köprüsü), known officially as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge ( tr, 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü) and unofficially as the First Bridge ( tr, Birinci Köprü), is one of the three suspension bridges spanning ...
. An Ottoman-era
yalı A yalı ( tr, yalı, from Greek ''yialí'' (mod. ''yialós''), literally "seashore, beach") is a house or mansion built right on the waterside (almost exclusively seaside, particularly on the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul) and usually built with ...
presented to Esma Sultan as a wedding gift by her father Sultan Abdülaziz, it was badly damaged by a fire in 1975. then renovated in the 1990s by The Marmara Hotels group. In 2001 it opened as a multipurpose event venue. The exterior of the burnt historic building was left untouched, creating an interesting contrast with its modern interior.


Çıragan Palace

In 1871, Sultan Abdülaziz built the
Çırağan Palace Çırağan Palace ( tr, Çırağan Sarayı), a former Ottoman Empire, Ottoman palace, is now a five-star hotel in the Kempinski, Kempinski Hotels chain. It is located on the European shore of the Bosporus, between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy in Istan ...
which stands beside the Bosphorus between
Beşiktaş Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and Şişli, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and ...
and Ortaköy. The sultan lived in the palace for some time and it was later used as a place of imprisonment for other members of the imperial family. Later the Palace was used to house the Ottoman Parliament until it was badly damaged by a fire in 1910. Repaired and restored in the 1980s, it is now the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul Hotel, one 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, ...
's most luxurious
hotels A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...
.


Sports

The local sports club is Ortaköy Spor Kulübü.


See also

*
Emirgan Emirgan is a leafy, middle-class suburb of Istanbul, Turkey, on the western shore of the Bosphorus in the Sarıyer district north of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Second Bosphorus Bridge). The name commemorates a friendship that eventually tur ...
*
Rumelihisarı Rumelihisarı (also known as Rumelian Castle and Roumeli Hissar Castle) or Boğazkesen Castle (meaning "Strait-Blocker Castle" or literally "Throat-Cutter Castle") is a medieval fortress located in Istanbul, Turkey, on a series of hills on the Eu ...


References and notes


AksarayOrtaköy Belediyesi


External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ortakoy Neighbourhoods of Beşiktaş Bosphorus Restaurant districts and streets in Turkey Entertainment districts in Turkey