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Bahariye is a small neighborhood in Kadıköy. It’s located near Central Kadıköy and Moda. The area is focused around Bahariye Street, which contains lots of shops.
The Bull
I’ll start with the Bull. This life-sized statue of a bull is a popular meeting point and point of reference. When you tell someone who knows Kadıköy to “turn left at the Bull” or “meet me at the Bull”, they know exactly what you’re talking about. The Bull is a short walk inland from the ferry terminal at Altıyol Junction.
Sultan Abdülaziz commissioned 24 animal statues to decorate the gardens of Beylerbeyi Palace and Çırağan Palace. They were designed in 1864 by French sculptor Pierre Louis Rouillard. 12 were made of bronze and 12 of marble. The Bull was originally located at Beylerbeyi Palace then moved to Yılldız Palace. It had a few other homes until it was relocated to Altıyol Junction in 1990.
Ali Suavi Street
Follow the tram tracks and turn left on the first street. This is Ali Suavi Street (Ali Suavi Sokak). There’s a monument dedicated to Ali Suavi, an Ottoman political activist who was the first Turk to die in the name of democracy back in 1878. There are several art and book shops on this street as well as the Nazim Hikmet Cultural Center (Nâzım Hikmet Kültür Merkezi), founded in 1997 and named after Turkish writer Nâzım Hikmet (1902-1963).
Surp Levon Armenian Catholic Church
Surp Levon Armenian Catholic Church (Surp Levon Ermeni Katolik Kilisesi) is also on Ali Suavi Street. It was originally built as a wooden chapel in 1890. After the congregation outgrew the chapel, it was demolished in 1905 and rebuilt. It opened to worship in 1911.
Süreyya Opera House
A few blocks up on the left is the Süreyya Opera House (Süreyya Operası). It was built by Süreyya İlmen, a deputy in Istanbul, between 1924 and 1927. The purpose of the building was to enhance the culture of Kadıkö
y. It originally opened as a musical theatre, served as a movie theatre from 1930 to 2005, and was reopened as an opera house in 2007.
Metropolis of Chalcedon
Next door to the opera house, 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, six holy sanctuaries, and one school.
Köçeoğlu Hamam
The next block up contains the ruins of the Köçeoğlu Hamam (Köçeoğlu Hamamı), a bath house built in 1840. All that remains is the arch from the entrance. From there, you can follow the tram tracks into Moda.
