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Büyükdere is a village on the European side of the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located in the Sarıyer district just west of central Sarıyer.
Introduction to Büyükdere
Büyükdere translates to Big Stream, which revers to a river that used to flow into the Bosphorus. The village was heavily Greek and Turkish with small Armenian and Jewısh communities. It was a popular summer retreat for the diplomatic community in the 19th century and many mansions were built there. Many of these mansions were cut off from the Bosporus with the construction of the coastal road.
After the 1955 Istanbul pogrom and forced deportations in the 1960s, the Greek population decreased significantly. The Greek primary school closed in 1974. Turks from mostly the Black Sea region have populated the area since. Today, Büyükdere is a pleasant neighborhood known for its beautiful mansions.
Getting to Büyükdere
The easiest way to get to Büyükdere is to take the Metro on line M2 to the Hacıosman stop and hop on the 25A, 25G, or 25Y bus, which all pass through the neighborhood. If you don’t mind sitting (or standing) on a bus for an extremely long time you could also take the 40 from Taksim Square; or the 40, 40B, or SRY-8 from Beşiktaş. The ferry terminal has service every hour or so on the City Ferry Lines (Şehir Hatları) from Eminönü and Beşiktaş.
Church of Santa Maria
Starting on the western side of the neighborhood is the Church of Santa Maria (Convento della Natività della Beata Vergine Maria di Büyükdere / Santa Maria Latin Katolik Kilisesi). It was founded by the Franciscans and built between 1864 and 1866 to replace an older church built in 1815. It was consecrated on October 8, 1866. Mass is typically held every Sunday morning at 11am and Monday through Saturday at 7pm.
The church was designed by Swiss architect Gaspare Fossati (1809-1883) in the Neoclassical style. It’s roughly 40 meters long, 12 meters wide, and 15 meters high with a flat roof. In the apse is a depiction of the Virgin and Child, and other paintings can be seen in the nave. The organ was built by Rieger Orgelbau and was initially destined for the chapel of Notre Dame de Sion French High School. It was installed in 1914.
On January 28, 2024, the Church of Santa Maria was the site of a terror attack. Two masked men entered during the Sunday Mass, and opened fire killing 52-year-old Tuncer Cihan. There were 35 to 40 people inside at the time. The gunmen were from Tajikistan and Russia and suspected members of Islamic State.
Old Büyükdere Pier
About six blocks east down Çayırbaşı Street, the main street through the neighborhood, is the Old Büyükdere Pier (Eski Büyükdere İskelesi). It was built in 1853 as the largest steamer pier on the Bosporus but was cut off from the water when the coastal road was built in the middle of the 20th century. It now functions as an event center and meeting place with a restaurant, shops, and café. The current pier was built on the opposite side of the coastal road.
Greek Orthodox Church of Agia Paraskevi
Just inland is the Greek Orthodox Church of Agia Paraskevi (Εκκλησία της Αγίας Παρασκευής / Aya Paraskevi Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi), which dates back to the early 17th century. The current church was built in 1830 to replace an earlier wooden building destroyed by fire. The courtyard contains the priest’s house, administrative buildings, a cemetery, and a holy spring. The nave measures 19.85 x 9.65 meters (65.1 x 31.7 feet) and has a marble floor. The church was damaged during the 1955 Istanbul pogrom.
Spanish Summer Embassy
Back down on Çayırbaşı Street is the Spanish Summer Embassy (İspanyol Sefareti). The original building was built by the Franciscans then donated to the Spanish government in 1783 as a summer retreat for embassy staff. It burned down in the early 1850s and replaced with the current Neoclassical structure may have been designed by the Fossati brothers in 1854. The Consulate General of Spain continues to use the building as a summer residence.
Surp Bogos Armenian Catholic Church
A few steps away is Surp Bogos Armenian Catholic Church (Surp Boğos Ermeni Katolik Kilisesi). It was built by Bogos Amira Bilezikciyan between 1859 and 1882 and consecrated in 1885. The church was designed by Krikor Hürmüzyan in the Neo-Gothic style to replace an older wooden church built in 1847. On the grounds are a clergy house, a school, and four wooden houses.
Sadberk Hanım Museum
Continuing along the coastal road is the Sadberk Hanım Museum (Sadberk Hanım Müzesi), which is covered in another post. It’s a fantastic private museum focusing on archaeology and ethnography housed in two 19th century mansions. The museum will relocate to the Tersane Istanbul development on the Golden Horn in the future (as of May 2025).
Russian Summer Embassy
Finally, a bit further east is the Russian Summer Embassy (Rusya Sefareti). It was built in the first quarter of the 19th century and is still used as a summer residence by the Russian Consul General. The main building has a balcony on the second floor supported by four columns, and there are wings on the east on west sides. There’s a Russian Orthodox chapel in the garden. The building underwent a major restoration in the 2010s, as the photos show below.
