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Baltalimanı is a neighborhood on the European side of the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s immediately north of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and lies in the Sarıyer district.
Introduction to Baltalimanı
Baltalimanı is named for Baltaoğlu Süleyman, the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Navy under Mehmed the Conqueror. He was in charge of preparing the ships that led to the Fall of Constantinople by transporting them over land near Beşiktaş and lowering them into the Golden Horn.
In the early 18th century many foreign visitors were hosted in Baltalimanı. Summer retreats and hunting lodges were built in the 19th century. The Treaty of Balta Liman, a trade agreement between Great Britain and the Ottoman Empire, was signed there in 1838.
In all honesty, there’s not much of interest in the area and I can’t fault anybody for passing through on the way to more interesting place.
Getting There
To get to Baltalimanı, you can take the 40T bus from the Park Otel stop in Gümüşsuyu near Taksim Square; the 22 or 40T from Kabataş; or the 22, 22RE, 40, or 40T from Beşiktaş. The nearest ferry terminal is at Emirgan, which has service on the City Ferry Lines (Şehir Hatları) every hour or so from Eminönü and Beşiktaş. If you’re on the Asian side, you could also take a ferry from Üsküdar to Aşiyan and walk north through Rumelihisarı.
Baltalimanı Palace
Baltalimanı Palace (Baltalimanı Sarayı) is the most important historic building in the neighborhood. It was built in the first half of the 19th century by Grand Vizier Mustafa Reşid Pasha (1800–1858). The two-story building covers an area of 1,600 square meters.
The palace was given to Reşid Pasha’s son Ali Galip Pasha (d. 1858), who was married to Fatma Sultan (1840-1884), the daughter of Sultan Abdülmecid I. After the death of Galip Pasha, it was purchased by the Ottoman Treasury. The Sultan’s other daughter, Mediha Sultan (1856-1928), received it as a gift for her wedding to Damat Ferid Pasha (1853-1923) in 1886, and they used it as a summer palace until 1922.
The palace closed after the establishment of the Turkish Republic and fell into disrepair. It was allocated to the Institute of Fisheries (Balıkçılık Enstitüsü) of the Ministry of Agriculture (Tarım Bakanlığı) and transferred to the Ministry of Health (Sağlık Bakanlığı) in 1943. They restored it and opened an 85-bed bone and articular tuberculosis hospital on June 19, 1944. The name changed to the Baltalimanı Bone Diseases Hospital (Baltalimanı Kemik Hastalıkları Hastanesi) in 1960.
Baltalimanı Japanese Garden
The Baltalimanı Japanese Garden (Baltalimanı Japon Bahçesi) is a few steps from the palace. It opened in November 2003 and was planted by the city of Shimonoseki, a sister city of Istanbul since 1972, on the occasion of the Year of Turkey in Japan. The entrance is through a door inspired by the Shimoneki Strait.
The Japanese Garden, which was renovated between May and October 2015, includes several beautiful elements including a waterfall, pond, stones garden, and gazebo. A tea room was added in July 2010. There are also 37 cherry trees (sakuras), which make it an even more pleasant place to visit when they’re in bloom.
The garden covers an area of 5,974 square meters. It’s maintained by the municipality and the Consulate General of Japan in Istanbul. In addition to the cherry trees, there are 35 maples and 5 pines, giving visitors the feeling of walking through all four season.
