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Moda is a pleasant neighborhood in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul. It’s located just south of the center of Kadıköy.
Introduction to Moda
The best time I had living in Istanbul was in Moda. It has a phenomenal location near the sea and is for the most part cosmopolitan and open-minded. There’s much less traffic and congestion than in most parts of Istanbul, and the choice and variety of restaurants and bars is excellent. Personally, Moda truly feels like a neighborhood and there are plenty of things to discover while exploring the area.
Moda became a fashionable residential area in the 1870s, when wealthy non-Muslims began building their mansions in the area. A handful of these mansions still exist, but most of the buildings are modern concrete structures.
Kadife Street
Most people will visit Moda for Kadife Street (Kadife Sokak), also known as Bar Street (Barlar Sokağı). It may not look like much during the day but at night it comes alive. I spent many great nights here enjoying beers with friends.
There are several bars and cafés to choose from, some located in colorful Ottoman homes. It’s also home to the Rexx, a great old place to watch movies, and the Rexx Büfe, my favorite place for kokoreç.
Agia Triada Greek Orthodox Church
A block east of Kadife Street is Agia Triada Greek Orthodox Church. It’s a beautiful church with a high domed interior. It’s worth popping inside if it’s open.
Agia Triada was built between 1887 and 1905, with Metropolitan Kallinikos of Chalcedon laying the cornerstone. The architects were G. Zahariadis and Belissarios Makropoulos. The church was consecrated on April 10, 1905, by Metropolitan Germanus of Chalcedon (1835-1920), the future Ecumenical Patriarch Germanus V (1835-1920). He’s buried in the garden.
Köçeoğlu Hamam
A short walk north along the tram tracks you’ll find the ruins of the Köçeoğlu Hamam (Köçeoğlu Hamamı), a bath house built in 1840. All that remains is the arch from the entrance.
Metropolis of Chalcedon
Across the street to the north, behind a fence covered in bushes, is a mansion that once served as the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chalcedon (Μητρόπολη Χαλκηδόνος / Kadıköy Rum Ortodoks Metropolitliği). There’s a sign above the gate that indicates its former purpose.
The mansion was originally built in the 19th century and sold to the Metropolis in 1906. During the anti-Greek pogrom of September 6-7, 1955, the building was attacked by a mob that humiliated Metropolitan Thomas by dragging him half-naked through the streets for hours. The mansion was transferred to the Kadıköy Greek Churches and Cemeteries Foundation (Kadıköy Rum Kiliseleri ve Mezarlıkları Vakfı) in 2006.
The Metropolis of Chalcedon was founded in 451 and is the only remaining metropolis in Anatolia today. It’s one of four active metropolises under the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Metropolis consists of 12 parishes, 6 holy sanctuaries, and 1 school.
Süreyya Opera House
At the next corner is the Süreyya Opera House (Süreyya Operası). It was built between 1924 and 1927 by Süreyya İlmen, a deputy in Istanbul. The purpose of the building was to enhance the culture of Kadıköy. It originally opened as a musical theatre, served as a movie theatre from 1930 to 2005, and reopened as an opera house in 2007.
Greek Primary School
Scattered in the residential parts of the area are a few more interesting sites, such as a private Greek primary school, which at the time of my first visit had just one student.
Church of the Assumption
The French Catholic Church of the Assumption (Église de l’Assomption) sits behind a large fence a few blocks south. It was designed by Italian architect Giovanni Barberini and built in 1865. Mass is held in Turkish and French.
All Saints Anglican Church
The All Saints Anglican Church is further south. It was built by the British in 1878 and most of the congregation is now made up of Turkish Christians. Although the population of Christians and Jews has decreased significantly since the end of the Ottoman Empire, especially after the 1955 Greek pogrom, the fact that churches are still operating with a solid worshipper base is a testament to the tolerance of this cosmopolitan area.
Barış Manço Museum
The Barış Manço Museum (Barış Manço Müzesi) is across the street from All Saints. It was the home of Turkish rock star Barış Manço (1943-1999). Manço was one of the best-selling Turkish artists in history and a pioneer of Turkish rock. He also had a TV show, 7’den 77’ye (From 7 to 77), in which he travelled to nearly every country on the globe. He died of a heart attack on February 1, 1999, just before releasing his final album, Mançology.
The Barış Manço Museum is housed in the Whittal Mansion (Whittall Köşkü). It was built between 1895 and 1900 for James William Whittall, a British businessman whose ancestors settled in Smyrna (now Izmir) in 1809. The Whittall family owned the mansion until they sold it to Barış Manço in 1984. It opened as a museum on June 9, 2010.
Admission to the museum is 25₺ (as of February 2024). It’s open daily except Mondays and holidays from 9am to 4pm. All of the information is in Turkish. Visitors have the opportunity to walk through different rooms of the house while Manço’s songs play in the background. His personal items are on display in all the rooms.
Ground Floor of the Barış Manço Museum
On the ground floor is a parlor with a piano and wax figure of Manço. It’s decorated with his furniture and paintings he owned. A glass case displays several awards he won.
The dining room contains the car keys, cell phone, and agenda Manço possessed when he died. A tea set, coffee mugs, telephone, and salt and pepper shakers are also on display.
First Floor of the Barış Manço Museum
Up on the first floor, the master bedroom contains original furniture and family photos. The bathroom features Manço’s toothbrush, and some of his flamboyant outfits hang in the closet.
Another bedroom contains family photos, and a room is set aside to display Manço’s personal items, including documents.
One case contains cassette tapes and records of his albums. Another displays his camera collection, and others exhibit memorabilia from his travels.
Basement of the Barış Manço Museum
In the basement is a parlor with leopard print chairs. There’s also a room that displays instruments and Manço’s bar. The winter garden doubles as a café but it wasn’t operating when I visited.
Moda Park
Moda Park (Moda Parkı) is a great little park with a tea garden to sit and relax in the shade. There are also nice views of the sea and old city from the tea garden.
Moda Seaside
There are some beautiful parks along the shoreline in Moda. They’re definitely worth visiting both for the scenery and to get away from the chaos of Istanbul.
There are two ways to get to the Moda seaside. First, if you walk west from Kadıköy Pier, you’ll come to a seaside path. Along the way there are incredible views across to the old city on the European side. I enjoyed going there at night with my friends. We would sit on the rocks with some beers, enjoy the view, and talk for hours.
The other way is to walk from the ferry terminals through Kadıköy Çarşı, then turn right on Moda Street. Follow the street until you come to the seaside.
Koço Meyhane
Near the end of Moda Street is Koço Meyhane, a Greek taverna established in 1928. It’s popular with locals. The owner of the restaurant also cares for a holy water spring next door.
Historic Moda Pier
At the end of the street is the Historic Moda Pier (Tarihi Moda İskelesi), which juts out into the Marmara Sea. Inside is a city-run café and library. It’s a great place to sit and have a glass of çay (tea). If you can’t find a seat, there are other restaurants along the shore nearby.
Moda Seaside Park
East of the old pier you’ll find Moda Seaside Park (Moda Sahil Parkı), which is a great place to enjoy some fresh air. It’s a pleasant green space along the shore with benches, a tennis court, children’s areas, and more. The long path along the shore through the park provides great views of Fenerbahçe.
Yoğurtçu Park
Yoğurtçu Park (Yoğurtçu Parkı) is a large open space with trees and a harbor running alongside. It’s at the north end of the path through Moda Seaside Park. The harbor was being renovated during my last visit in October 2018.
Yoğurtçu Park provides a lot more shade than Moda Seaside Park. It also has a playground, benches, a tennis court, basketball court, and public art.
Fenerbahçe Statues
At the north end of Yoğurtçu Park are statues of two Fenerbahçe legends. The first honors Lefter Küçükandonyadis (1924-2012), a footballer of Greek descent who was also one of the best ever to play for the Turkish national team. Lefter scored 423 goals in 615 games for Fenerbahçe and 22 goals in 50 games for his country. He captained the national team nine times. He remained a respected figure throughout his life.
The other statue is dedicated to Brazilian Alex de Souza. He played for Fenerbahçe from 2004 to 2012, scoring 172 goals in 346 games. He was the team captain and a fan favorite.
Canal
The harbor next to Yoğurtçu Park leads to a canal. The canal was terribly polluted when I lived in Istanbul, but I’m happy to report it has been cleaned up. Heading over the bridge east of the canal, you’ll come to Fenerbahçe’s Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, and further along is the Fenerbahçe neighborhood, which includes Kalamış.
Public Art in Moda
While walking through Moda with my friend Civan, he pointed out a few interesting pieces of public art along Moda Street. First is a sculpture of a happy girl. When the local authorities began removing trees along the street, an artist placed a sculpture of a sad girl next to a hole from which a tree was removed. The sculpture began to attract lots of attention and locals began complaining about the tree removal program. Soon after, the authorities began replacing trees. The artist responded by adjusting the sculpture and turning the sad girl into a happy one.
A short walk down towards the seaside is a sculpture of a dog sitting on a pillow. It depicts a famous street dog that used to sit on that corner every day. After the dog was hit by a car and killed, a local artist created the sculpture. It’s located just outside Pizza Locale.
Other than those two sculptures, there are also a few murals in the area. My favorite depicts Malala Yousafzai.
