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One of the most important buildings in Kadıköy is the Haydarpaşa Railway Station (Haydarpaşa Garı). It once served as the busiest commuter station in Istanbul, connecting Istanbul with other cities in Anatolia.
History
The original station, which opened in 1872 under Sultan Abdülaziz, was the first railway station in Istanbul. In 1904, it was chosen to be the northern terminus for both the Baghdad Railway and the Hejaz Railway.
The current building opened in 1909 and was built on land reclaimed from the sea. Germans Otto Ritter and Helmut Conu were the architects. It boasts elegant German and Italian stone work and an elaborate interior.
Future
In November 2010, the roof was damaged by a devastating fire caused by carelessness during restoration. This caused a lot of speculation about the future of the building. There was controversy over whether it would remain a railway station or not, with rumors it would be sold to a private company and turned into a hotel.
However, it was announced in December 2015 that the building would be fully integrated into the Marmaray network of the Turkish rail system. Since the announcement, Haydarpaşa Railway Station has been restored and renovated. The tracks have been upgraded and archaeological excavations have taken place, but there are still questions over the building’s future (as of April 2024). For a virtual tour, click here.
Ferry Stop
Outside the front entrance you can find the Haydarpaşa Pier (Haydarpaşa İskelesi), an original Ottoman ferry stop with beautiful tile work and an old wooden ticket booth. There’s also an antique steam engine sitting in front of the building. For a virtual tour of the exterior, click here.
Views
From the Haydarpaşa Railway Station, there are great views of Kadıköy. To the left you can see Haydarpaşa Mosque (Haydarpaşa Camii). It replaced an original mosque destroyed when the railway station was built. The new mosque opened in 1998 and was built in the Ottoman style.