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Kandilli is a village on the Asian side of the Bosporus in Istanbul known for its beautiful seaside mansions (yalılar). It’s located north of Çengelköy in the Üsküdar district, along with its small neighborhood of Vaniköy, There’s not much reason to stop there and it’s best seen by boat.
History
During Byzantine times, Kandilli was known as Skaliés (Σκαλιές) or Nikópolis (Νικόπολη). There’s nothing left today from that era, but there are a few Ottoman structures that remain.
Main Square
I walked through the main street and all of the seaside mansions are behind high security fences. However, the ferry terminal sits in a nice little square. In the square are a few restaurants and cafés along with a small mosque, Kandilli Mosque (Kandilli Camii), built in 1632.
In the Hills
The area by the seaside is mostly residential, but in the hills above, you can find the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Bosporus University (Boğaziçi Üniversitesi), which is dedicated to studying earthquakes, as well as its earthquake museum.
The Kandilli Anatolian High School for Girls (Kandilli Anadolu Kız Lisesi), one of the first high schools for girls in the Ottoman Empire, is also located in the hills along with a couple of Armenian churches and an Armenian cemetery. Great views of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge (Fatih Sultan Mehmet Köprüsü), the second bride over the Bosporus, can be seen from the seaside.
Getting There
The easiest way to get there is through Üsküdar. Take a ferry to Üsküdar and walk to the Üsküdar Cami Önü stop (in front of the mosque across the street from the ferry terminal). Hop on pretty much any bus with a number 15 until you reach the Kandilli stop. You can also take a dolmuş going to Beykoz and ask the driver to let you out at Kandilli – it’s much faster than the bus.
If you’re on the European side, there’s a ferry service on the Istanbul City Ferry Lines (İstanbul Şehir Hatları) from either Arnavutköy or Bebek every few hours throughout the day.
