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Sirkeci is a busy neighborhood in Istanbul centered around a historic railway station. There are several other highlights to discover as well.
Brief History of Sirkeci
During the Byzantine period, Sirkeci was known as Prosphorion (Προσφόριον). It contained a harbor, which no longer exists, making it an important commercial area. Commercial activity carried over into Ottoman times and continues today. The area grew in importance with the opening of Sirkeci Station, the terminus of the Orient Express. Today, Sirkeci is also a major tourist area thanks to the great number of hotels that have opened.
Sirkeci Station
Sirkeci Station (Sirkeci Garı) is a historic railway station at the heart of the neighborhood. It’s an important cultural and architectural symbol of the city.
Construction of Sirkeci Station started on February 11, 1888. It was designed by Prussian architect August Jasmund and replaced a temporary station built in 1873. The station opened on November 3, 1890, and was originally named Müşir Ahmet Pasha Station.
Sirkeci Station was the terminus for the famed Orient Express. The very first Orient Express train from Paris pulled into Istanbul on October 4, 1883. It passed through Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Ulm, and Munich in Germany; Vienna, Austria; Budapest, Hungary; Bucharest, Romania; and Ruse and Varna in Bulgaria. The journey took 80 hours and covered 3,094 kilometers. The Orient Express stopped running to Istanbul on May 19, 1977.
All international connections to Sirkeci Station stopped in May 2013, including service to Sofia, Bulgaria, and Belgrade, Serbia. The Friendship Express, which linked Istanbul with Thessaloniki, Greece, ran from July 2005 and February 13, 2011. I traveled that route in December 2010.
Today, Sirkeci Station is a local railway line only. It’s a major stop on the Marmaray line, which crosses underneath the Bosporus in a tunnel. It opened on October 29, 2013.
Orient Express Restaurant
The Orient Express Restaurant is a popular place to grab a drink or meal. In the 1950s and 1960s, it was an important meeting place for journalists and other members of the media.
Exhibition Hall
Mevlevi whirling dervishes offer public Sema ceremonies in the exhibition hall. Tourists can enquire about tickets at a booth outside the doors.
Istanbul Railway Museum
The Istanbul Railway Museum (İstanbul Demiryolu Müzesi) is also located at Sirkeci Station. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9am to noon and 1pm to 5pm. Admission is free (as of September 2024).
The museum opened on September 23, 2005, and is owned and operated by Turkish State Railways (TCDD). On display are several artifacts from the Orient Express days, including dinnerware, equipment, and memorabilia.
Outside of the station, to the left of the entrance is an antique locomotive.
Hocapaşa Hamam
In the area south of Sirkeci Station is the Hocapaşa Hamam (Hocapaşa Hamamı). This historic Turkish bath was founded in the 1480s by Hoca Sinan Pasha (1440-1486), a vizier under Mehmed the Conqueror. It was damaged by fire on September 17, 1865, and served as a bath until 1988. The bath was converted into a business center between 1990 and 1995. Since 2008, it has been occupied by Hodjapasha, a cultural center for traditional dance and whirling dervish performances.
Hoca Pasha Mosque
Just south of the hamam is the Hoca Pasha Mosque (Hoca Paşa Camii). It was originally built between 1580 and 1590 by Hacı Üveys bin Kevser, a governor and head of finance under Sultan Murad III. The mosque was destroyed by fire in 1829 was completely rebuilt between 1868 and 1869.
Mermer Han
Heading west from the mosque across Ankara Street, there’s a handful of interesting buildings on Büyük Postane Street. First, on the lefthand side is Mermer Han, which was built in 1915. I can’t find any other information about the building.
Vlora Han
At the next intersection on the right is Vlora Han. This beautiful Art-Nouveau building was built in 1904 by Ferruh Bey, and was originally named Ferouh Han. It was designed by Italian architect Raimondo D’Arranco (1857-1932). The building was sold in 1921 and the name changed to Vlora Han.
Vlora Han is six stories high and is still used for its original purpose as an office building. From 1904 to 1905, the offices of architect Mimar Kemaleddin (1870-1927) were located there along with five newspapers. The building is badly in need of restoration, but the stone motifs, balconies, and ornamental iron are still impressive.
VakıfBank
On the next corner is the Sirkeci branch of VakıfBank, one of the largest banks in Turkey. The building is quite interesting but I can’t find any relevant information on it.
Old Building
Next door is another old building for which I can’t find any information. It’s occupied by a few sports shops and a honey store.
Grand Post Office
The imposing building across the street is the Grand Post Office (Büyük Postane). It’s one of Istanbul’s architectural gems, designed by Vedat Tek (1873-1942) and built between 1905 and 1909. The building is in the first national architectural style and incorporates Ottoman design elements.
The country’s largest post office building, it has a floor area of 3,200 square meters (34,000 square feet). From 1927 to 1936, it temporarily housed Istanbul Radio.
The Grand Post Office once contained the Istanbul Postal Museum (PTT İstanbul Müzesi). It opened on May 6, 2000, and chronicled the history of communication and telecommunication services in Turkey since the official beginning on October 23, 1840. Unfortunately, it has been closed since 2017 (as of September 2024).
Hobyar Mosque
A block uphill and behind the post office, on Aşir Efendi Street, is the Hobyar Mosque (Hobyar Camii). It was originally built by Hoca Hubyar in 1473, but it was destroyed over time. The current mosque dates back to 1909 when it was rebuilt by Vedat Tek. The building incorporates elements used in the Grand Post Office behind it, also designed by Tek. Continuing west down Aşir Efendi Street from the mosque, you can explore the busy Sultanhamam area.
Sansaryan Han
Down Mimar Kemalettin Street are two more buildings of note. First is Sansaryan Han, which was built in 1895 by Ottoman Armenian architect Hovsep Aznavour (1854-1935). Ottoman Armenian merchant Mkrtich Sanasaryan later purchased the building to financially support the Sanasaryan College in Erzurum. He donated it to the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1909, but it was confiscated by the Ottoman government from 1915 to 1920.
The Patriarchate regained control of the building and administered it from 1920 to 1928 until the Republic of Turkey confiscated it for a second time. It has remained in the hands of the Turkish state ever since and was used for many years as a courthouse and police station. The Armenian Patriarchate filed a lawsuit in 2014 for the return of the title deed, but the court ruled against them. The building has since been converted to a luxury hotel, the Sansaryan Han, a Luxury Collection Hotel, run by Marriott. It opened in late 2023.
Kayseri Han
Next door is Kayseri Han, which was also built in 1895 by an Ottoman Armenian architect, possibly Hovsep Aznavour. It contains 27 rooms over 3 floors opening to a glass-covered courtyard.
Where to Eat in Sirkeci
With plenty of restaurants geared towards tourists, I’ve pretty much avoided eating in Sirkeci except for one amazing place.
Bitlisli
I stumbled upon Bitlisli while exploring Sirkeci one day. This kebab restaurant features food from Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia and was getting more business than other restaurants when I walked by. I had to find out why.
I sat down and ordered lahmacun and cacık (tzatziki). It was a simple meal but much more delicious than I could have expected.
On my second visit a year later, I had the söğürme kebabı, which was excellent. It featured pieces of lamb over a bed of eggplant purée. I’ve been back a couple times since, trying the Adana kebab and the Bitlis tava sarımsaklı, which is meat, vegetables, and loads of garlic pan fried then baked in the oven.
