Beşiktaş () is a district and municipality of Istanbul, Turkey.Büyükşehir İlçe Belediyesi , Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023. 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 Şişli, 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.
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, 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 and the Bosphorus Bridge, terminating at the important public transport hub of Zincirlikuyu. 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 Bosphorus 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, prosperity, and cultural level. Beşiktaş is also the highest ranking Turkish district in terms of the Human Development Index, 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' in Turkish, and taş means 'stone'.
According to one story, there was a Byzantine church in modern-day Beşiktaş with the name Kounopetra, Greek for 'stone cradle'. The church was built to honor a relic, a stone reportedly taken from the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. This stone was later relocated to Hagia Sophia and disappeared during the Fourth Crusade, 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 to Jerusalem with a cradle-shaped stone used in the baptism 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 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 Greek, 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.Fabio Barry, 'Disiecta Membra' in Henry Maguire and Robert S. Nelson (eds.) San Marco, Byzantium, and the Myths of Venice (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 2010) p.11
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 and the Argonauts. In the Byzantine era, 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 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 and along the Silk Road, 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, 4,897 Armenians, 3,057 Jews, 601 Catholics, 203 Bulgarians and 18 Latins.Kemal Karpat (1985), Ottoman Population, 1830–1914, Demographic and Social Characteristics, The University of Wisconsin Press, p. 204-205
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 Abdülaziz 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 at Yıldız Palace in 1909.Kayalı, Hasan (1995), Cambridge University Press. "Elections and the Electoral Process in the Ottoman Empire"
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, 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, Ortaköy, 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 and 2017, there were two terror attacks in the district. One was outside a stadium and the other was at a nightclub. The site of the 2016 attack has been commemorated as the 10 December Martyrs Park.
Climate Beşiktaş experiences a humid subtropical climate (Cfa/Cf) according to both Köppen 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 to the north, and the Mediterranean climate 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. 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:Mahalle , Turkey Civil Administration Departments Inventory. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
Arnavutköy
Bebek
Etiler
Kuruçeşme
Levent
Ortaköy
Vişnezade Yıldız
Historic quarters
Arnavutköy: Located between Bebek and Kuruçeşme. It is famous for its many colorful yalıs which line the coastline.
Aşiyan: 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.Aşiyan Müzesikultursanat.istanbul
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.
Ortaköy: 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.
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 Mosque 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