Princess Islands, Istanbul

...is so appealing about the Princess Islands is the legacy of the different cultures that moved out to the islands in the late Ottoman period. The people who have lived on the islands, or owned holiday homes there have always been wealthy Istanbullus and that means a heritage created in particular by the Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities.

The islands got their name because princes and princesses who had outlived their roles were ...
...of the eighteenth century a ferry service to the islands was established and the islands became a popular place for the wealthy merchant classes to have extravagant villas built.

Of the nine islands, five are populated. Four of the five populated ones can be visited by ferry; the fifth, Sedef, is privately owned.

GETTING TO THE ISLANDS

A brilliant part of a trip to the Princes Islands is the ferry ride. ... more

Just a short ferry ride from Istanbul, the Princes Islands are a brilliant place to kick back and escape the relentless noise and bustle of the city. Other than emergency vehicles, motorised vehicles are not allowed on the islands which makes them very peaceful and makes walking more enjoyable. I love to walk but Istanbul can be hard work for walkers and so visiting the Princes Islands gives you an opportunity to stroll without needing eyes in the back of your head. Huddled together in the Sea of Marmara, each island has a character of its own and it's easy to forget the proximity of one of the world's largest cities.

The Islands can be visited all year round but ferry and hydrofoil services are less frequent in winter. One of the reasons they are so popular is that several of them have beaches and this is the nearest place to the city for bathing. However, from what I could see the beaches weren't that great (small patches of pebbles and too close to the ferry terminals) and certainly wouldn't persuade me to take the ferry over. No, what is so appealing about the Princess Islands is the legacy of the different cultures that moved out to the islands in the late Ottoman period. The people who have lived on the islands, or owned holiday homes there have always been wealthy Istanbullus and that means a heritage created in particular by the Jewish, Greek and Armenian communities.

The islands got their name because princes and princesses who had outlived their roles were exiled to the islands during Byzantine times. In the middle of the eighteenth century a ferry service to the islands was established and the islands became a popular place for the wealthy merchant classes to have extravagant villas built.

Of the nine islands, five are populated. Four of the five populated ones can be visited by ferry; the fifth, Sedef, is privately owned.

GETTING TO THE ISLANDS

A brilliant part of a trip to the Princes Islands is the ferry ride. On the outward journey we took the car ferry from the "Adalar Iskelesi" dock at Sirkeci. You need to get there at least thirty minutes before the scheduled departure time as the queues are long and you need to buy a ticket first. Once you have your ticket you join the scrum at the gate; take care once the gates open as people tend to sprint onto the ferry in order to get a good seat. You have been warned! When the ferry sets sail you will get excellent views of the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and of the Aya Sofya as the ferry passes Seraglio Point. It is worth the trip just for this!

It takes 30 minutes to reach the first island and then about fifteen minutes between islands after that. Then the ferry goes back to the city and terminates at Eminonu. You can also make the journey by catamaran to and from Eminonu. We did this on the way back. It's a ten minute bus ride from Taksim Square or Sultanahmet.

THE ISLANDS

We stopped for the day at Burgazada which is the second stop of the ferry but I will write a little on each of the others first.

Kinaliada - this island is most popular with Istanbul's Armenian community and has quite a distinct look with its white houses that cling to the hill. As the ferry pulled in there were quite a few people bathing on the pebbly beach but we had read up a little and couldn't find enough that we wanted to see on this island and didn't fancy swimming here as the ferry terminal was right beside the beach. There is Hristos Monastery which was built by the Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV but our guidebook told us it was only open on Fridays. Beside the ferry terminal is the most modern mosque I have ever seen, it looks like a single "sail" from Sydney Opera House.

Heybeliada - the island looks very attractive and the first thing you see as you approach is the Greek Orthodox school for priests because it sits on the top of a hill. It's housed in the former Haghia Triada Monastery and peeks out above the poplar trees. Another striking building you can admire without leaving the ferry is the naval academy, a huge white building that looks like a giant pavilion.

Buyukada is the largest of the islands and the final ferry stop. This island is more obvious as a tourist destination and I'm glad we didn't visit it. It looked too busy and too "manufactured" for my taste with the most over the top ferry terminal building adorned with more cupolas and balconies than is decent! Our guidebook said that the chief attraction of this island was the Greek St George's Monastery, a fifty minute uphill walk from the port. It also said there wasn't much to see when you got there.

Lucky then that we chose to visit Burgazada, the second stop on the ferry route. This is the island with predominantly Greek heritage. Our guide book didn't have many positive things to say about it but we thought it rather attractive with streets of wonderful wooden Ottoman houses and an interesting and picturesque museum dedicated to Sait Faik Abasiyanik, famous Turkish story writer from the beginning of 20th century and housed in the writer's former home.

The island is only 1.5 square kilometres so it's just the right size to explore on a day trip. There's only a very limited selection of accommodation on this island so it's best to stay on one of the other s or just come for the day. Having spent a few days in Istanbul, one of the attractions of Burgazada for us was that the place was so quiet. You can hire bicycles (or a donkey) or take horse and carriage rides (phaetons) around the islands. On Burgazada one needn't even do any of those things as the island is so small.

The first thing you'll notice is the smell from the little bakeries near the ferry terminal. It's very tempting but don't eat too much because you'll not be able to enjoy the excellent food at one of the meyhanes in the town. Better to wait and have something while you wait for your return ferry along with a glass of tea.

We visited in August, at which time it was very hot. We were glad we had chosen one of the quieter islands because we didn't feel obliged to see lots of things and could take it easy instead, stopping now and again for a refreshing mint tea. As wonderful as Istanbul is, just being there can sometimes seem like hard work so visiting Burgazada was a short break for us. There are a few restaurants and tea gardens to choose from and all of them looked lovely. We stopped for a leisurely meze lunch near the water and were spoiled by the friendly owner who brought us extra dishes at no charge. The food was wonderful; fresh fish, delicious dips and warm crusty bread as well as tasty aubergines in a rich tomato sauce and stuffed vine leaves that were seasoned with so many fabulous flavours. We ate far too much and retired to a shady tea garden afterwards to recover.

The Greek influence on the island is quite noticeable; in fact the first mosque was not built here until 1953. The Greek Orthodox Church of St John might be worth a visit but is likely to be shut and you'll need to find someone to open it. We couldn't find anyone and moved on.

The Sait Faik museum is dedicated to the writer often described as the Turkish Chekhov - quite an accolade! I've not read any of his work so can't give an opinion on that but I did enjoy visiting the museum. He was born in 1906 into a wealthy family of merchants. He studied in Istanbul France and Switzerland but always dropped out and eventually returned to Istanbul where he became a teacher to Armenia orphans, an experience that gave him a lot of materials for his short stories. He lived on the island of Burgazada with his mother and also wove everyday Burgazada life into his writing. The museum is small but well captioned and the house is certainly worth seeing. The museum isn't actually open set hours, but the caretaker, a lovely old lady, lives in the grounds and a knock at her door will get you access if she is around, of course. What I found particularly interesting was the suggestion that the writer might have been gay and living on this island, away from the conventions of the city, may have allowed him to live without persecution. Certainly, I did feel that the island had a certain diversity not found in the city, for all its vastness and cultures.

A bit further on than the museum is Counterfeit Rock (Kalpazankaya), a superb place to get wonderful views and somewhere Sait Faik used to spend a lot of time. Here you'll find the ruin of an old monastery and nearby is a shady cafe which you will be pleased of in summer. Beneath is Kalpazankaya beach which is quite pebbly but fine for a paddle. Unfortunately we noticed lots of litter during the walk down to the water which was really the only negative thing about the whole day on the island.

The Princes Islands are incredibly picturesque and offer an alternative side of Istanbul that many tourists don't get to see. The cultural history of Istanbul is diverse and rich but can be easily forgotten in the city and is easier to appreciate on the islands where there seems more acceptance and tolerance of the tapestry of Istanbul history.

If you are in Istanbul for more than a few days I would certainly recommend a visit in order to enjoy a break from the hustle and bustle of the main tourist areas although most literature I read advised staying away on Sundays in summer when the islands are flooded with visitors. The amount there is to see and do varies from island to island so I would suggest doing a little research before choosing which to visit. Of course, you could always hop from island to island either in one day (perhaps two would be the limit for one day) or over several days. However you would certainly need to research accommodation if you chose the latter option as there is not a vast amount on any one island and some of it is pricey. Reservations are advised for the height of summer and it should be noted that many hotels and pensions close entirely in winter.

The Princes Islands are not a secret to Turkish people but are somewhat less well known by tourists from other countries. However, I would say that visitors to any of the islands would not be disappointed; it is amazing to think that these tranquil traffic free havens are within sight of Istanbul and well worth the short sailing to enjoy their beauty.

Technical hitches mean no photos at present but watch this space... 

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