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.
EN
