Beşiktaş () is a

district A district is a type of administrative division that in some countries is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municip ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km² and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the

Bosphorus The Bosporus or Bosphorus Strait ( ; , colloquially ) is a natural strait and an internationally significant waterway located in Istanbul, Turkey. The Bosporus connects the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and forms one of the continental bo ...

strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and

Şişli Şişli () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 10 km2, and its population is 276,528 (2022). Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş ...

, on the west by Kağıthane and Şişli, on the south by Beyoğlu, and on the east by the Bosphorus. Directly across the Bosphorus is the district of

Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 35 km2, and its population is 524,452 (2022). It is a large and densely populated district on the Anatolian (Asian) shore of the Bosphorus. It is border ...

. The district includes a number of important sites along the European shore of the Bosphorus, from Dolmabahçe Palace in the south to the Bebek area in the north. It is also home to many inland (and relatively expensive, upper-middle class) neighborhoods such as Levent and Etiler. Some of its other well-known neighborhoods include Yıldız, Kuruçeşme,

Ortaköy Ortaköy (, ''Middle Village)'' is a neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Beşiktaş, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 9,121 (2024). It is on the European shore of the Bosphorus. it was originally a small fishing villag ...

, and Arnavutköy. Beşiktaş' historic commercial centre is the Beşiktaş quarter and Çarşı (literally, "marketplace"), which adjoins the small Abbasağa Park. The district is home to the oldest sports club and powerhouse Beşiktaş and its stadium, Beşiktaş Park. Running in the north–south direction, Barbaros Boulevard is a major feeder road for the inner-city motorway

Otoyol 1 Otoyol 1 (), abbreviated as O-1 and locally referred to as The First Beltway (), is a controlled access highway in Istanbul, Turkey. The O-1 serves as the inner beltway and is one of three intercontinental motorways in the city, the others being t ...

and the Bosphorus Bridge, terminating at the important public transport hub of

Zincirlikuyu Zincirlikuyu is a quarter of the Şişli district on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey. Part of Esentepe neighborhood, it is situated on a hilltop on the district border to Beşiktaş in the east. Having undergone redevelopment in recent years ...

. 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 the

and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges passing through it. The district is also the leading financial center of Turkey. In a 2013 ranking of Turkish districts, Beşiktaş placed first overall due to its high

quality of life Quality of life (QOL) is defined by the World Health Organization as "an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards ...

, prosperity, and cultural level. Beşiktaş is also the highest ranking Turkish district in terms of the

Human Development Index The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistical composite index of life expectancy, Education Index, education (mean years of schooling completed and expected years of schooling upon entering the education system), and per capita income i ...

, with an HDI of 0.864, while also ranking first in the individual indexes for income and education. The municipality is taking part in the Cities4Europe campaign and has qualified as a "European 12 Star City".

Name

The district takes its name from the Beşiktaş quarter located in the modern-day Sinanpaşa neighborhood. Along with Çarşı, this historic center is sometimes referred to as ''Köyiçi'' (roughly "inner village") by locals. The word ''beşik'' means "

cradle Cradle or Cradles may refer to: * Cradle (bed) * Bassinet, a small bed, often on rockers, in which babies and small children sleep Mechanical devices * Cradle (circus act), or aerial cradle or casting cradle used in an aerial circus act * Crad ...

" in Turkish, while ''taş'' means "

stone In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its Chemical compound, chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks ...

". According to one story, there was a Byzantine church in modern-day Beşiktaş with the name Kounopetra,

Greek Greek may refer to: 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 of all kno ...

for "stone cradle". The church was built to honor a

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

, a stone reportedly taken from the

stable A stable is a building in which working animals are kept, especially horses or oxen. The building is usually divided into stalls, and may include storage for equipment and feed. Styles There are many different types of stables in use tod ...

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

where Jesus was born. This stone was later relocated to

Hagia Sophia Hagia Sophia (; ; ; ; ), officially the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque (; ), is a mosque and former Church (building), church serving as a major cultural and historical site in Istanbul, Turkey. The last of three church buildings to be successively ...

and disappeared during the

Fourth Crusade The Fourth Crusade (1202–1204) was a Latin Christian armed expedition called by Pope Innocent III. The stated intent of the expedition was to recapture the Muslim-controlled city of Jerusalem, by first defeating the powerful Egyptian Ayyubid S ...

, possibly to be sold in Europe's relics market. Another story states that a cleric from a Saint Menas (Aya Menas) Church where Beşiktaş now is returned from a

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

with a cradle-shaped stone used in the

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

of Jesus and placed it in the church. Page 82. One other explanation is that the name is a corruption of ''beş taş'', Turkish for "five stones", referring to the five stone pillars built to moor ships by Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha.

History

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 by

Constantine the Great Constantine I (27 February 27222 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was a Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337 and the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity. He played a Constantine the Great and Christianity, pivotal ro ...

during his reign (306–337 CE). 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. In Byzantine times, the area was called ''Diplokionion'', meaning "double pillar" in

, 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 in

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

. 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 as ''

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...

and the

Argonauts The Argonauts ( ; ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, ''Argo'', named after it ...

''. In the

Byzantine era The Byzantine calendar, also called the Roman calendar, the Creation Era of Constantinople or the Era of the World (, also or ; 'Roman year since the creation of the universe', abbreviated as ε.Κ.), was the calendar used by the Eastern Orth ...

, 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 the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea 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 bound ...

coasts, and little of this architecture or the statuary that would have decorated it so gloriously has survived. In the Ottoman 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 sailor Barbarossa Hayreddin, built his palace and mosque in Beşiktaş, making it his home. By now Beşiktaş was an established Bosphorus crossing for caravans trading across

Anatolia Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...

and along the

Silk Road The Silk Road was a network of Asian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Spanning over , it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the ...

, 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, 9,248

Greeks Greeks or Hellenes (; , ) are an ethnic group and nation native to Greece, Greek Cypriots, Cyprus, Greeks in Albania, southern Albania, Greeks in Turkey#History, Anatolia, parts of Greeks in Italy, Italy and Egyptian Greeks, Egypt, and to a l ...

, 4,897

Armenians Armenians (, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia.Robert Hewsen, Hewsen, Robert H. "The Geography of Armenia" in ''The Armenian People From Ancient to Modern Times Volume I: The Dynastic Periods: From Antiq ...

, 3,057

Jews Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

, 601

Catholics The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

, 203

Bulgarians Bulgarians (, ) are a nation and South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Bulgaria and its neighbouring region, who share a common Bulgarian ancestry, culture, history and language. They form the majority of the population in Bulgaria, ...

and 18

Latins The term Latins has been used throughout history to refer to various peoples, ethnicities and religious groups using Latin or the Latin-derived Romance languages, as part of the legacy of the Roman Empire. In the Ancient World, it referred to th ...

. 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 the dethronement of

Sultan Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...

Abdülaziz Abdulaziz (; ; 8 February 18304 June 1876) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 25 June 1861 to 30 May 1876, when he was 1876 Ottoman coup d'état, overthrown in a government coup. He was a son of Sultan Mahmud II and succeeded his brother ...

at Dolmabahçe Palace in a coup in 1876, the announcement of the founding of the Ottoman parliament in 1908, and the deposing of Sultan

Abdul Hamid II Abdulhamid II or Abdul Hamid II (; ; 21 September 184210 February 1918) was the 34th sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1876 to 1909, and the last sultan to exert effective control over the fracturing state. He oversaw a Decline and modernizati ...

at Yıldız Palace in 1909. Following the foundation of the Turkish 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. Today, it is widely accepted by the residents of the area that the most significant resident of Beşiktaş was Zübeyde Hanım, the mother of

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Mustafa Kemal Atatürk ( 1881 – 10 November 1938) was a Turkish field marshal and revolutionary statesman who was the founding father of the Republic of Turkey, serving as its first President of Turkey, president from 1923 until Death an ...

, who lived in the old quarter at the heart of Beşiktaş, literally right next to the then headquarters of Beşiktaş J.K. Besides the more historic areas such as Yıldız,

, Kuruçeşme, Arnavutköy, Bebek, many residential areas in the district started to form around the 1950s. For example, the foundations of Levent (named after the Levent Farm previously located there) were established in the 1950s when construction began on a prestigious suburban mass housing project. The Etiler, Konaklar, Akatlar, Nisbetiye, Levazım and Kültür neighborhoods followed soon after. In

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

and

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, there were two terror attacks in the district. One was outside a

stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

and the other was at a nightclub. The site of the 216 attack has been commemorated as the 10 December Martyrs Park.

Climate

Beşiktaş experiences a

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...

(''Cfa/Cf'') according to both

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

and Trewartha 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 the

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

to the north, and the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

to the south, and is a good average of climates across Istanbul. It is classified as USDA hardiness zone 9a, and AHS heat zone 3.

Government

Beşiktaş is located on the European side of

Istanbul Province Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

. It became an independent district in 1930 after its separation from Beyoğlu, and the municipal government was founded in 1984. The district is composed of 23 neighbourhoods: Besiktas mahalleler

* * * Arnavutköy * * Bebek * * * Etiler * * * * Kuruçeşme * * Levent * * * *

* * * *

Vişnezade Vişnezade is a neighborhood in the municipality and district of Beşiktaş, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 7,959 as of 2023. ''Vişne'' translates to "Prunus cerasus, sour cherry" from Turkish and the neighborhood is named after İz ...

* Yıldız

Historic quarters

Arnavutköy: Located between Bebek and Kuruçeşme. It is famous for its many colorful yalıs which line the coastline.

Aşiyan Aşiyan is a quarter between Bebek, Beşiktaş, Bebek and Rumelihisarı in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the European side of the Bosphorus. Aşiyan Museum and Aşiyan Asri Cemetery are located in the quarter. ...

: Located between Bebek and Rumelihisarı. The Turkish poet Tevfik 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. Bebek: The origins for Bebek's name go back to the Conquest 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 its badem ezmesi. : 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 to Beşiktaş Çarşı, Barbaros Square and the Istanbul Naval Museum. Dolmabahçe: Located south of Valideçeşme and north of Kabataş. Today it is administratively part of the Vişnezade neighborhood. Its name comes from the Dolmabahçe Palace. The BJK 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.

: Known today for its iconic mosque and square. Historically a multicultural area. It is famous for its kumpir. Valideçeşme: Located immediately west of Akaretler. Today it is a part of the Vişnezade neighborhood. Yıldız: Located to the east of Barbaros Boulevard. It is home to the Yıldız Palace, which itself is located in Yıldız Park, one of the biggest green spaces in central Istanbul. Both the Galatasaray University and the Yıldız Technical University have their main campuses here. Çırağan Palace and the Kabataş Erkek Lisesi, one of the most prestigious high schools in Turkey, are also located in the neighborhood.

Places of interest

Beşiktaş is home to many historic and modern places of interest. Among the most notable are Dolmabahçe Palace, Çırağan Palace, Yıldız Palace, and

Ortaköy Mosque Ortaköy Mosque (), formally the 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 Ottom ...

. The Levent neighborhood is home to many modern shopping malls and office buildings. Some of Turkey's tallest buildings are located in the area, along Büyükdere Avenue.

Historic

* Abbas Ağa Mosque * Akaretler Row Houses * Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha Memorial * Bebek Mosque * Çırağan Palace * Dolmabahçe Palace * Dolmabahçe Clock Tower * Esma Sultan Mansion * Feriye Palace * Hatice Sultan Palace * Istanbul Naval Museum * Ihlamur Palace * Makruhyan Armenian School * Malta Kiosk * Naime Sultan Mansion * Orhaniye Barracks *

* Ortaköy Kethuda Hammam * Sinan Pasha Mosque * Tomb of Hayreddin Barbarossa * Yahya Efendi Lodge * Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque * Yıldız Park * Yıldız Porcelain Factory * Yıldız Palace * Yıldız Clock Tower

Modern

* Akmerkez * Beşiktaş Stadium * Istanbul Sapphire * İş Towers * Kanyon * MetroCity * Sabancı Center * Zorlu Center

Economy

With the

Ottoman dynasty The Ottoman dynasty () consisted of the members of the imperial House of Osman (), also known as the Ottomans (). According to Ottoman tradition, the family originated from the Kayı tribe branch of the Oghuz Turks, under the leadership of Os ...

's settlement in Dolmabahçe in the 17th century and many workers eventually settling in houses and mansions in Beşiktaş, many shopping places like Çarşı popped up, helping the area to be a developing economic center. But with the proclamation of the

Republic of Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, and the capital being moved to

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

, Beşiktaş's economic development came to a halt. In the 1950s with the birth of the Levent and Etiler neighborhoods, and the construction of Barbaros Boulevard. The district started growing back and eventually transportation levels in the neighborhoods rose, and with the construction of the Bosphorus 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 the Sabancı Center and Isbank Towers eventually getting built. Beşiktaş is home to İşbank, Garanti BBVA, Akbank, Yapı Kredi and Fibabanka's head offices and embassies of

Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

, Egypt,

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

Northern Cyprus Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), is a ''de facto'' state that comprises the northeastern portion of the Geography of Cyprus, island of Cyprus. It is List of states with limited recognition, recognis ...

, South Africa, Spain, and the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

. The consulate of Saudi Arabia, formerly in Beşiktaş, was moved to a building in the Istinye neighborhood in Sarıyer district in September 2019, following the murder of journalist

Jamal Khashoggi Jamal Ahmad Hamza Khashoggi (13 October 1958 – 2 October 2018) was a Saudi journalist, Saudi dissidents, dissident, author, columnist for ''Middle East Eye'' and ''The Washington Post'', and a general manager and editor-in-chief of Al-Arab New ...

in the building in 2018.

Sports

The area gives its name to Turkey's oldest sports club, Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü (Beşiktaş Gymnastics Club), founded in 1903. The club's

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team is one of the top three in Turkey, having won 16

Turkish Super League Turkish may refer to: * Something related to Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities in the former Ottoman Empire * The ...

titles and participating regularly in the

UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...

and Europa League. The team played their home games at the historic İnönü Stadium, which was demolished in 2013 and replaced on the same grounds by the 42,590 seat Beşiktaş Stadium. There are Beşiktaş 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. BJK Akatlar Arena is the home of the basketball team. The club's most famous supporter group is called Çarşı, and is known for its involvement in social and political issues. Besides Beşiktaş JK, the district is also home to the smaller yet historic Ortaköy SK. The Istanbul Specialized Swimming Club was the first specialized swimming club in the country. 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 Süleyman Seba (; 5 April 1926 – 13 August 2014) was a Turkish football player of Abkhazian origin and was the longest presiding chairman of the Istanbul-based multisports club Beşiktaş. He was also an intelligence officer for National Int ...

Sports Centre, Fulya Training Facilities and Çilekli Football Field.

Education and culture

Beşiktaş is arguably the most important educational center of Istanbul. The central campuses of some of Turkey's leading universities, such as

Boğaziçi University Boğaziçi University (Turkish language, Turkish: ''Boğaziçi Üniversitesi''), also known as Bosphorus University, is a Public university, public research university in Istanbul, Turkey, historically tied to a former American educational insti ...

, Galatasaray University, and Yıldız Technical University are located in the district. The Turkish War Academies and central parts of Beykent University, Kadir Has University,

Istanbul Technical University Istanbul Technical University, also known as Technical University of Istanbul (, commonly referred to as İTÜ), is an public university, public technical university located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is the world's third-oldest technical university ...

, and

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University (, or MSGSÜ) is a public art university in Istanbul, Turkey. The university's campus is located in the Fındıklı, Beyoğlu. The university was established in 1882 under the leadership of Osman Hamdi Bey. Hi ...

can also be found here. Many notable primary and secondary schools such as Robert College, Etiler Anadolu Lisesi, the Istanbul Japanese School, MEF International School, the Etiler campus of the British International School Istanbul, and the Etiler campus of the Tarabya British Schools, can be found in Beşiktaş. A total of 43

K-12 K-1 is a professional kickboxing promotion established in 1993 by karateka Kazuyoshi Ishii. Originally under the ownership of the Fighting and Entertainment Group (FEG), K-1 was considered to be the largest Kickboxing organization in the world. ...

schools (12 private) are listed by the municipality. Museums in the district include the

Aşiyan Museum Aşiyan Museum () is the house of famous Turkey, Turkish poet Tevfik Fikret (1867–1915) at Aşiyan neighborhood of Beşiktaş district in Istanbul. It was built in 1906 and later in 1945 converted to a museum. The museum is owned by the Istanbu ...

, the

Beşiktaş JK Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 18 km2 and its population is 175,190 (2022). It is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus strait. It is bordered on the north by Sarıyer and ...

Museum, Istanbul Naval Museum, Istanbul State Art and Sculpture Museum, Istanbul City Museum, Yıldız Palace Museum, and the

Firefighting Firefighting is a profession aimed at controlling and extinguishing fire. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter or fireman. Firefighters typically undergo a high degree of technical training. This involves structural fir ...

Museum. As of 2018, there are 18

art galleries An art gallery is a room or a building in which visual art is displayed. In Western cultures from the mid-15th century, a gallery was any long, narrow covered passage along a wall, first used in the sense of a place for art in the 1590s. The long ...

, 20

libraries A library is a collection of Book, books, and possibly other Document, materials and Media (communication), media, that is accessible for use by its members and members of allied institutions. Libraries provide physical (hard copies) or electron ...

, 12

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...

venues, and 8 movie theatres with numerous screens listed by the municipality. In addition, there are other notable performance venues such as Kuruçeşme Arena and Zorlu Performing Arts Center. , founded in 1994 by Yılmaz Erdoğan and , is known nationwide for its theatre, cinema, and television productions. File:GSUniversitesi.jpg, Galatasaray University File:Bosphorus University.jpg,

Faculty of Science and Letters building File:Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi 10.jpg, Yıldız Technical University Faculty of Engineering File:RobertCollegeGouldHall1.jpg, Robert College, Gould Hall

Transportation

Beşiktaş is an important transport hub with

ferries A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus. ...

going to the Asian side and dozens of buses departing from the area. There are ferries to

Kadıköy Kadıköy () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district on the Asian side of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 25 km2, and its population is 467,919 (2023). It is a large and populous area in the Asian si ...

, Eminönü,

Adalar The Princes' Islands (; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", , ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar (); alternatively the Princes' Archipelago; is an archipelago off the coast of Istanbul, Istanbul ...

, Sarıyer and the coastal towns of

Beykoz Beykoz () is a municipality and Districts of Turkey, district of Istanbul Province, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 310 km2, and its population is 247,875 (2022). It lies at the northern end of the Bosphorus on the Anatolian side. The name i ...

Rail Transport

The M2 metro line runs via Levent and under the Büyükdere Avenue to Taksim and Maslak. The M6 line is a short line operating from Levent to the

via Etiler. The newly built M7 line terminates at Yıldız with an extension to Beşiktaş Çarşı under construction.

Road Transport

The Boğaziçi Bridge and the

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge The Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge ("Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror Bridge"; , abbreviated as ''F.S.M. Köprüsü''), also known as the Second Bosphorus Bridge (), is a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey spanning the Bosphorus strait (Turkish: ''Boğaziçi'') ...

crossing the Bosphorus are in the located district. Both of Istanbul's beltways (

and Otoyol 2) pass through the district. Büyükdere Avenue and Barbaros Boulevard are other major thoroughfares.

International relations

Involvement

The municipality is an associated partner of Eurocities and is involved in a number of working groups ranging from urban ageing to migration and integration. It is also a part of the Cities4Europe campaign. Beşiktaş was awarded the '12 Star City' title for 2016 and 2017 by the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

Twin municipalities

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

, New York City, United States, since 2005. *

Erlangen Erlangen (; , ) is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative district Erlangen), and with 119,810 inhabitants (as of 30 September 2024), it is the smalle ...

, Bavaria, Germany, since 2004. * Flag of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus

Güzelyurt, Northern Cyprus *

Lewisham Lewisham ( ) is an area of southeast London, England, south of Charing Cross. It is the principal area of the London Borough of Lewisham, and was within the Historic counties of England, historic county of Kent until 1889. It is identified in ...

, London, United Kingdom *

Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...

, Albania * Songpa-gu,

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

, South Korea *

Trenčín Trenčín (, also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is a List of towns in Slovakia, city in western Slovakia of the central Váh River valley near the Czech Republic, Czech border, around from Bratislava. It has a populati ...

, Slovakia * Xanthi, Greece

Gallery

File:Besiktas Square.jpg, Beşiktaş Square File:Beşiktaş, March 2017 - Hayır campaign for Turkish referandum 2.jpg, Beşiktaş "Eagle Square" File:Levent Çarşı 2011.jpg, A view from Levent Çarşı File:İstanbul Bebek sahili 1934.JPG, The Bebek coast in 1934 File:İstanbul 5153.jpg, Sinan Pasha Mosque File:IstanbulNavalMuseum37.JPG, Istanbul Naval Museum File:Yildiz Park 02.jpg, Yıldız Park File:Ihlamur Palace Ceremonial House 06.jpg, Ihlamur Palace File:Istanbul asv2021-10 img15 Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque.jpg, Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque File:Esma Sultan Yalısı.JPG, Esma Sultan Mansion File:İstanbul - Bebek, Beşiktaş r6 - Şub 2013.JPG, Hıdiva Mansion File:Besiktas ferry landing.JPG, Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha pier File:Ortakoy husrev kethuda hamamı.jpg, Ortaköy Kethuda Hammam File:Beşiktaş Belediyesi ve Kaymakamlığı.JPG, Beşiktaş

Kaymakam Kaymakam, also known by #Names, many other romanizations, was a title used by various officials of the Ottoman Empire, including acting grand viziers, governors of provincial sanjaks, and administrators of district kazas. The title has been reta ...

and Municipality building File:Yildiz Porcelain Factory 01.jpg, Yıldız

Porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

Factory File:Saatkulesi.jpg, Dolmabahçe Clock Tower File:Beşiktaş Mars 2013.jpg, Dolmabahçe Mosque and Dolmabahçe Palace File:Akaretler, Beşiktaş.JPG, Akaretler Row Houses

Video gallery

File:İstanbul - Sinan Paşa Camii (Beşiktaş) - Şubat 2013.ogv, View of Sinan Pasha Mosque and surrounding area from the

, Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha pier in foreground File:İstanbul - Ortaköy & Büyük Mecidiye Camii - Şubat 2013.ogv, View of

from the Bosphorus,

and the Bosphorus Bridge on the right File:İstanbul - Arnavutköy, Beşiktaş & Akıntıburnu Deniz Feneri - Şubat 2013.ogv, View of Arnavutköy and the Akıntıburnu lighthouse File:İstanbul - Aşiyan,Beşiktaş & Aşiyan Mezarlığı - Şubat 2013.ogv, View of the

quarter and Aşiyan Asri Cemetery, with Rumelihisarı and the

on the right File:İstanbul - Beşiktaş İskelesi - Şubat 2013.ogv, Barbarossa Hayreddin Pasha pier and surrounding area

References

Notes

External links

Official website of Kaymakam (district governor)

Official interactive map

Beşiktaş gallery at Fotopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Besiktas Bosphorus Metropolitan district municipalities in Turkey Districts of Istanbul Province Populated places in Istanbul Province Istanbul Central Business District