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Beykoz is a village on the Asian side of the Bosporus in Istanbul, located in a district of the same name.
In all honesty, there’s not much to see or do, but it’s still a nice place to spend some time. In Byzantine times, the village was known as Dáphni (Δάφνη), but nothing is left from that era.
Beykoz Square
Life in the village centers around busy Beykoz Square (Beykoz Meydanı). There you’ll find Beykoz Mosque (Beykoz Camii).
İshak Ağa Fountain
Also on the square is the İshak Ağa Fountain (İshak Ağa Çeşmesi). It’s one of the best preserved Ottoman fountains in Istanbul and was built in 1746.
Ottoman Buildings
The road to the north of the square has some small restaurants, cafés, and shops housed in old Ottoman buildings. A couple blocks inland from the square are a couple of churches, the Agia Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church, built in 1852, and the Surp Nigoğayos Armenian Church, built in 1626.
Seaside
Along the seaside to the west of the ferry terminal is a path with benches and a few fish stalls. The views of the Bosporus are wonderful. At the end of the path is a small café serving sandwiches and çay.
Forest Preserve
To the south of the square is the small Beykoz Preserve (Beykoz Korusu), also known as the Abraham Pasha Preserve (Abraham Paşa Korusu), which features a tree-lined road in front. There’s a restaurant run by the city of Istanbul in the preserve called the Beykoz Preserve Social Facility (Beykoz Koru Sosyal Tesisi). A bit further south, across the road from a small marina, is a monument to Turkish soldiers.
Sunset
My favorite time to visit is right before sunset. It seems like the sunlight falls perfectly on the village at this time.
Getting There
The easiest way to get to Beykoz is through Üsküdar. Take a ferry to Üsküdar and go to the Üsküdar Cami Önü stop (in front of the mosque across the street from the ferry terminal). Hop on a bus with the number 15 and get out at the square. You can also take a dolmuş heading to the village and ride it until the end – it’s much faster. There’s a ferry service but it isn’t frequent or convenient.
Once in the village you can catch buses to Anadolu Kavağı and Anadolu Feneri, two smaller villages to the north.
