Located on Istanbul's European side on the Bosphorus shore, Besiktas is famous for its colorful neighborhood, bazaars, culture, and arts, besides restaurants, cafes, and shopping centers. Besiktas contains many of the luxurious districts in Istanbul and has a deep-rooted history.
During the Byzantine Empire, Besiktas was called Diplokionion. Situated outside the city and not considered a safe place to live has made the population not more than a small village. Then under Ottoman rule, its name was changed to Besiktas, meaning cradle stone. Besiktas is one of the oldest and most historic districts of Istanbul admired by the local tourists for being a cultural and artistic center.
The area gained this popularity because of the stadium, one of Turkey’s well-established team Besiktas JK aside from the historical monuments. People come down to Besiktas to enjoy the Besiktas Bazaar and square along with the 19th Century Dolmabahce Palace and Naval Museum overlooking the Bosphorus from the coast.
Besiktas is a significant hub for bars, cafes, restaurants, and breakfast cafes lined up on the side of the streets, and one can take breaks from their everyday life by exploring the picnic stops in the Abbasaga and Yildiz parks.
Besiktas is a lively, colorful neighborhood with lots of places to eat and visit; it stands out from other areas for the nightlife, activities, shopping, and historical and cultural places it offers.
It is one of the most valuable regions because of Ortakoy, Arnavutkoy, Bebek, and Etiler. You can have a stroll around Besiktas Square, explore the area, watch the crowd having tea, resting in the nearby cafes. Besiktas holds the historical heritage of the Ottomans; the Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, and Yildiz Palace as well.
You can visit the Grand National Assembly of Turkey National Palaces, the Museum of the Palace Collection, and more.
If you want to stay in Istanbul's central points to enjoy the surroundings without missing something, the best neighborhood would be Besiktas.
Besiktas' well-known hotels manage to suit all types of budgets, such as the Swiss Hotel, Four Seasons, Shangrila Bosphorus, Ciragan, Conrad, Ramada, BesiktasMeydan Hotel, Vizon Hotel, and more.
The best thing about living in Besiktas is that it is closer to all activities and historical areas. You can reach there in under 10 minutes through public transportation or even walk to the destination!
As the hotels in Besiktas, the restaurants and cafes are for all types of budgets and occasions. There is street food for you to eat and go if you are in a rush, and there are fancy and mediocre restaurants for dining in, along with international food chains.
Some of the education institutes in Besiktas;
Besiktas is easily accessible as it is a hub for tourists and the locals in Istanbul for shopping, hanging out, offices, eateries, and much more.
You can search for bus routes, schedules, and stations from apps like MOBIETT and TRAFI.
For Ferries, you can check the Istanbul Ferry Lines Map, and For the Tram stops, you can check the Istanbul Railway Network Map. Besiktas is also one of the stops for the Hop on Hop off tourist bus route.
Besiktas is accessible through public ferries from Kadikoy and Uskudar. From Taksim, you can go through Public Bus or Minibus (Dolmus).
Besiktas is 24/7 a lively neighborhood with the districts such as Bebek, Akat, Levent, Etiler, Arnavutkoy hustling with streets, cafes, restaurants where tourists and locals can experience cuisine and cultures from all around the world. Along the Besiktas coast, there are many tea cafes where people can meet friends and chat while sipping a cup of tea.
Famous restaurants recommended in Besiktas are the Balkan Restaurant, Sohretler Koftecisi, Kartal Restaurant Canım Cigerim. Besides these famous eateries, street food experience local Turkish cuisine is also highly recommended.
Besiktas has an active nightlife along its coastline, Akaretler, and the market zone. Besiktas has various famous pubs, cafes, music bars, and nightclubs. Akaretler has Joker No 19, Craft Beer lab, and central Besiktas has Beer hall and Thales Bistro being the most loved and visited. These entertainment venues are open throughout the year for their visitors till dawn.
For shopping enthusiasts, Besiktas offers lots of malls varying from the Bazaar to the biggest shopping malls. You can visit the Saturday Market, Zorlu Shopping Center, Metrocity Shopping Mall, Etiler Mayadrom, Sinanpasa Shopping Center.
You can visit these malls as they include hundreds of local and international brand shops and food courts, offering various food options and eateries to be experienced.
Art lovers can enjoy several cultural centers and art galleries, some of which are mini-movie theaters. The Municipality of Besiktas organizes The International Arts Day from 21st to 28th September yearly, hosting famous and newcomer artists, musicians, dancers, and other performers.
Besiktas is a perfect district for all ages as you get a chance to meet people from all walks of life and befriend them learning new cultures.