Ortakoy has had an important place in the daily life of the city during both the Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Turks, Jews, Greeks and Armenians still live there peacefully, side by side. In the 16th century, the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent encouraged the Turks to move to Ortaköy and live there, which marked the beginning of the Turkish presence in the neighbourhood. One of the oldest buildings in Ortaköy is the Turkish Bath built by the famous Ottoman architect Sinan in 1556.
The famous Ortaköy Mosque, located on the coastal pier square, was originally built in the 18th century. Later, in the 19th century, the current mosque, ordered by Sultan Abdülmecid and designed by architects (father and son) Garabet Amira Balyan and Nigogayos Balyan in Neo-Baroque style, was edificed between 1854 and 1856.
In 1871, Sultan Abdülaziz built the Çyra?an Palace in Ortaköy, where he lived for some time. Çyragan Palace was also used as the Ottoman Parliament building until it was severely damaged by a fire in 1910. The palace was repaired and restored in the 1980s and is known today as the Cyragan Palace Kempinski Hotel, one of the most luxurious hotels in Istanbul.
Ortakoy is one of the nicest neighborhoods of Besiktas districts in the European side of Istanbul on the Bosphorus Strait, right under the first Bosphorus bridge. In Turkish it means “middle village” because it was in the middle of the strait, and during the Ottoman period it was just a small fishing village and a resort for the Ottoman dignitaries because of its attractive location. After many years, the district is still a popular spot for local people and foreign visitors.
Ortakoy has many cafeterias and tea houses around a square near the water or in the alleys, moderate or expensive restaurants, bars, small shops and a market which gets very lively during the weekends. In the summer time there are even small size concerts or street shows etc. Many world class night clubs are also in this area, on the Bosphorus.
Ortakoy center lies within a triangle of a Muslim mosque, a Christian church, and a Jewish synagogue, witnessing the religious freedom and mosaic in Turkey as a secular state. Other interesting sites within Ortakoy district are: Ciragan Palace hotel which used to be a palace, Kabatas High School from late Ottoman period, Feriye restaurant which used be the hunting mansion of the sultans, Princess Hotel, Sortie night club and Reina night club. A small pier is connecting Ortakoy to other neighborhoods on the Asian side by passenger ferries.
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