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Şişli (Şişli Merkez) is a busy business area in Istanbul, Turkey. It seems quite uninteresting on the surface, but there’s quite a lot of history once you do a little digging.
Introduction to Şişli
Şişli, which is at the heart of the eponymous district, didn’t begin to grow until the 1940s when the city began to expand rapidly. Before this, it was a quiet area that contained lots of cemeteries. In this entry, I’ll start at the northern end of Şişli and work down Büyükdere and Halaskargazi Streets until coming to the Osmanbey neighborhood. Keep in mind what could be considered tourist or historic attractions are minor at best.
Mosaic at Mecidiyeköy Square
First, outside the metro station at Mecidiyeköy Square is an impressive mosaic mural of Istanbul. It includes some of the most recognizable landmarks in the city including Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Galata Tower. The mosaic is situated against the wall of the Armenian Catholic Cemetery.
Cemeteries in Şişli
As previously mentioned, Şişli is home to some of the city’s most important non-Muslim cemeteries. Four of them are located in a large plot of land west of Mecidiyeköy Square. The Ottoman government allocated the land to the Armenian, Greek, and Jewish communities to replace older cemeteries in Taksim, Harbiye, and Pangaltı. Those cemeteries, established in the 16th century, were surrounded by heavily populated neighborhoods, and it was forbidden to bury the dead in residential areas.
Armenian Catholic Cemetery
To the northeast is the Armenian Catholic Cemetery (Ermeni Katolik Mezarlığı), which is the largest of its kind in Istanbul. Monuments from older cemeteries were moved there, and there’s a chapel inside the entrance to the left. The cemetery is divided into plots named after saints. Some Armenian Catholic archbishops are buried there.
Armenian Cemetery
To the northwest is the Armenian Cemetery (Ermeni Kabristanı), which was also established in 1865. Several prominent Armenians are buried there. I tried to visit but was refused entry by the doorman.
Italian Jewish Cemetery
On the southwest corner is the small Italian Jewish Cemetery (İtalyan Musevi Kabristanı). It was established in October 1867 by Sultan Abdülaziz for about 400 Jewish families who had migrated from the Crimea between 1854 and 1855. It eventually became a cemetery for the entire Jewish community and is now associated with the Italian Jewish community. Tombstones are written in Italian, English, French, German, Latin, and Ladino. The decree of Abdülaziz is written on a plate on the inner door.
Şişli Greek Orthodox Cemetery
The Şişli Greek Orthodox Cemetery (Ελληνορθόδοξο Νεκροταφείο Σισλί / Şişli Rum Ortodoks Mezarlığı) takes up the southeast section. It occupies 52 acres and has about 85,000 burials. The entrance is across the street from Cevahir Mall. I walked in when the doors were open and asked the caretaker in Greek if I could walk around.
The cemetery was founded in 1859 and is the final resting place for many Orthodox Christians. Most of the graves belong to Greeks, but Russians, Serbs, Bulgarians, Arabs, and Turkish Orthodox Christians are also buried there. The cemetery was vandalized by a mob during the anti-Greek pogrom on September 6-7, 1955. Crosses and statues were knocked down, vaults were opened, and the remains of the dead were removed and dispersed.
The Metamorphosis Chapel, designed by Ottoman French architect Alexandre Vallaury (1850-1921), serves as the cemetery’s funerary chapel. It was built in 1888 and consecrated on May 21, 1889. There’s also a small chapel dedicated to SS Peter and Paul.
Several beautiful tombs are scattered throughout the cemetery. The most extravagant are marked with a sign in Greek describing the tomb and its architecture, and a biography of the person or family buried inside. Among the notable burials are Georgios Zariphis (1810-1884), a prominent Ottoman Greek banker.
Graves of Turkish Orthodox Patriarchs
Three patriarchs of the Turkish Orthodox Church, an unrecognized Orthodox Christian denomination, are buried in the Greek Orthodox Cemetery: Papa Eftim I (1884-1968), the self-declared Turkish Orthodox Patriarch from 1923 to 1962 (originally Pavlos Karahisarithis); Papa Eftim II (1920-1991), the Turkish Orthodox Patriarch from 1962 to 1991 (originally Yiorgos Karahisarithis); and Papa Eftim III (1926-2002), the Turkish Orthodox Patriarch from 1991 to 2002.
The Turkish Orthodox Church (Türk Ortodoks Kilisesi) was founded in Kayseri on September 15, 1922, by Turkish-speaking Greek Orthodox priests from Anatolia who genuinely wanted to remain both Orthodox Christians and Turkish citizens. Most supporters ended up being deported during the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey. The first burial, Papa Eftim I, was refused by the cemetery due to his excommunication by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and the Turkish government had to intervene to secure the burial. The Turkish Orthodox Church owns three churches in Karaköy.
Cevahir Mall
Across the street from the entrance to the Şişli Greek Orthodox Cemetery is Istanbul Cevahir Mall. When it opened on October 15, 2005, it was the largest shopping mall in Europe. It held that title until 2011 and is still one of the largest malls in the world.
Cevahir has a total floor area of 420,000 square meters (4,521,000 square feet) spread over 6 floors. There are almost 350 shops and nearly 50 restaurants. An entertainment zone includes a cinema, roller coaster, bowling alley, and more. The 2,500-square-meter (26,910-square-foot) glass roof contains the second largest clock in the world, with digits that are 3 meters (10 feet) high. There’s also a metro station at the mall.
Şişli Mosque
After Büyükdere Street becomes Halaskargazi Street is Şişli Mosque (Şişli Camii), located on Şişli Square (Şişli Meydanı). It may look like a historic mosque, but it’s actually quite new. The mosque was built between 1945 and 1950 to accommodate the rapid population growth in the area. The architect was Ali Vasfi Egeli (1890-1962), who designed it in the Neoclassical Ottoman style, and it opened on June 28, 1949. It was the first mosque ever built in Turkey after the Republican period began in 1923.
The entrance is through a porch with six marble columns and five small domes. The prayer hall has 20 windows over 2 levels. The mihrab and minbar are made of marble in the classical Ottoman style and there’s also a small fountain. The dome has a diameter of 11.4 meters and is supported by three semi-domes.
Bulgarian Exarchate
A few blocks down the street is an open space behind high walls. If you can peek beyond the tall trees, you can spot a mansion. It was originally intended to be the home of the patriarch of the Bulgarian Exarchate. In 1872, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church broke away from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople in order to gain autonomy from Greek domination. This created a schism within the Orthodox Church that lasted until 1945, and the Bulgarian Patriarchate was restored in 1953. The four-story mansion was constructed in the late 19th century by Exarch Joseph I (1840-1915) and renovated in 1989.
Şişli Etfal Hospital Clock Tower
If you walk a few blocks east from the Bulgarian Exarchate, you’ll come to a clock tower that was built for the Şişli Etfal Hospital (Şişli Etfal Hastanesi). The hospital and clock tower were built under the orders of Sultan Abdülhamid II in memory of his daughter, Hatice Sultan, who died aged seven months. The clock tower was designed by Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco (1857-1932) and completed in 1907. It’s 20 meters (66 feet) high and doubles as a minaret for a small mosque underneath.
Notre Dame de Lourdes
If you wind through the streets to the west of the Bulgarian Exarchate you’ll find Notre Dame de Lourdes (Notre Dame de Lourdes Gürcü Katolik Kilisesi), an active Georgian Catholic church.
The church was built in 1861 by Father Peter Kharischirashvili (c. 1804-1890) and is one of the very few Georgian Catholic churches in the world. A printing house was established there in 1870 and it was renovated in 1901. The library was established in 1908.
Bomontiada
A couple blocks further west is Bomontiada. It’s an entertainment complex located in a former brewery and a popular place to visit with friends or family.
The Bomonti brewery was established in 1890. From 1930 to 1950, the factory’s courtyard operated as a beer garden where people could get together and drink freshly brewed beer. In the 1950s, the area became more industrialized until factories began to close in the 1980s. The Bomonti brewery operated until 1990.
The brewery sat empty as the area grew in popularity and turned residential. Finally, in 2015, it was renovated and converted to an entertainment complex called Bomontiada, returning once again to life as a beer garden.
Bomontiada contains a small handful of restaurants and craft breweries. They’re great to visit both for lunch or in the evening. It can get quite packed, especially on weekends.
Ara Güler Museum
Bomontiada features a small museum dedicated to Ara Güler (1928-2018). The Ara Güler Museum (Ara Güler Müzesi) displays personal items and famous photographs from the famous Armenian-Turkish photographer. It’s open daily except Mondays and admission is free (as of September 2024).
Of particular interest to me were the photos he took after the 1955 anti-Greek pogrom as well as photos of different celebrities he had met.
Murals Outside Bomontiada
Outside the entrance to Bomontiada, I spotted some interesting murals on the factory across the street.
Atatürk Museum
Finally, just south of the Bulgarian Exarchate is the Atatürk Museum (Atatürk Müzesi). Admission is free (as of September 2024) and it’s closed on Mondays.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (c. 1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic, rented the house owned by Osep Kasabyan from December 2018 to May 16, 1919. He lived there with his mother, Zübeyde Hanım (1857-1923), and his sister, Makbule Atadan (1885-1956).
The three-story house, built in 1908, was purchased by the municipality in 1928 to store Atatürk’s personal belongings. It was converted to a museum and opened to the public on June 15, 1942. It displays personal items owned by Atatürk as well as photographs, paintings, and documents.
Where to Eat in Şişli
Şişli is more of a busy business area and doesn’t have the concentration of good restaurants you can find in Beyoğlu. I have, however, managed to find a few decent places to eat.
Monochrome
Of the restaurants in Bomontiada, I decided to have lunch at Monochrome, which has a cozy setting and a decent menu.
I had a burger and fries with a beer. The burger was pretty good and service was efficient although the price was a little too high for the quality.
HD İskender
While doing some shopping at Cevahir Mall, I stopped into HD İskender. It’s a chain with locations all over Istanbul and other cities in Turkey. They have a very simple menu serving İskender kebabs a few other side dishes. The İskender was delicious and better than I expected at a mall restaurant.
Murat Muhallebicisi
Murat Muhallebicisi is a pastry shop on Mecidiyeköy Square. We had a delicious breakfast there one morning. I had menemen while Marisol had eggs with sausage. Service was friendly and the price was just right.
Bosphorus Brewing Company (BBC)
The Bosphorus Brewing Company (BBC) is in Gayrettepe, which isn’t too far away from Central Şişli. It’s an establishment that’s much more than an Istanbul-based craft brewery. It’s a haven for foreigners living in the city and a great place to meet friends for good food and fun. The food is a bit on the pricy side for Istanbul but that shouldn’t deter you.
Sit indoors on a Saturday night among a loud and boisterous crowd, or have a quiet Sunday afternoon lunch on the outdoor terrace. No matter when you go, you’ll enjoy excellent and friendly service in a comfortable setting, hidden away from the chaos of Istanbul.
The nearest metro stations to BBC are at Gayrettepe and Mecidiyeköy, but it can be tough to find. It’s easiest to take a taxi from those points.
Menu at Bosphorus Brewing Company
Obviously, as a brewery, they have a good selection of beers. Starting off with a beer sampler is always a favorite of mine. You get six small glasses of the current beers available.
For food, you really can’t go wrong with anything. I’ve had the cheddar ale soup to start. A burger, fish and chips, lamb curry, beef sausage and mash, and penne arrabiatta are the dishes I’ve tried. All were fantastic.
And…
They have…
PORK!!!
On select Sundays, I was able to get my pork fix in a Muslim country where it’s almost impossible to find any pork products. Call ahead for availability.
