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Heybeliada is the second biggest of the Princes’ Islands in Istanbul. It makes for a nice, relaxing day trip from the bustling and chaotic mainland.
Introduction to Heybeliada
Heybeliada covers roughly 2.34 square kilometers (0.9 square miles). It’s 2.7 kilometers wide and 1.2 kilometers long. and is made up of four hills. The name translates to Saddlebag Island. It’s also known by its Greek name, Halki (Χάλκη), which derives from the Greek word for copper. The island was famous for its copper ores in antiquity.
The island historically was home to mostly Greek families with a small community of non-Muslims. The first Turk to settle there permanently was Abbas Halim Pasha (1830-1894), who constructed a beach pavilion around which a new neighborhood sprung up. The island’s multiculturalism still shows to this day, mostly through religious buildings.
Heybeliada was first connected to the rest of the city by steamship in 1846. After this, it became a prominent intellectual center and developed into a summer resort for wealthy citizens of Constantinople. Today, Heybeliada is still a popular summer home destination. The permanent population is fewer than 5,000 people, but it swells to over 30,000 during the summer.
Getting to Heybeliada
There’s ferry service from Kabataş and less frequent service from Beşiktaş on the Istanbul City Ferry lines (İstanbul Şehir Hatları). Be prepared for a long journey. It takes about 90 minutes from Kabataş. If you’re on the Asian side, you can catch the Kabataş ferry from Kadıköy, and there are a few ferries from Bostancı that are a bit shorter.
Another choice are the direct fast ferries operating to Heybeliada and Büyükada. They leave from Beşiktaş, Kabataş, and Eminönü with Dentur Avrasya and Mavi Marmara.
All ferry terminals for departure are current as of August 2025. You can use your Istanbulkart to board. The ferry terminal in Heybeliada is located in the center of town.
Getting Around Heybeliada
If you’re staying in the heart of town, you can easily get around on foot. To explore the rest of the island and get to the Halki Seminary, you can jump on an electric vehicle or rent a bike for the day.
What to See in Heybeliada Town
There are a few points of interest in the town, especially around the ferry terminal. Some are related to the Greek and Jewish inhabitants of the island. You’ll also find some beautiful Ottoman homes.
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (Εκκλησία του Αγίου Νικολάου / Ayios Nikolaos Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi) just a few steps from the ferry terminal. It was built in 1857 on the site of a Byzantine church and designed by architect Stefanis Gaitanakis. It was restored after an earthquake in 1894 with the permission of Sultan Abdülhamid II. You can find the grave of Ecumenical Patriarch Samuel (1700-1775) at the church as well as the St. Paraskevi Holy Spring.
Heybeliada Society for the Science of Music
The Heybeliada Society for the Science of Music (Heybeliada İlm-i Musiki Derneği) is an interesting pink building just a short walk from the pier. It’s a former Greek school that was funded by the Greek Department of International Development Cooperation and the Greek NGO Bosphorus Cultural Alliance.
The building, which was designed by Dimitrios Panagiotidis and constructed in 1907, still has some markings from its original use as a Greek school. During its heyday in 1923, it had a total of 275 students. By 1979, the number had dwindled to 8, and the school closed the following year.
Beth Yaakov Synagogue
Not too far from the music school is the Beth Yaakov Synagogue (Bet Yaakov Sinagogu). The need for a synagogue arose from the rising number of Jewish families spending their summer on the island in the 1940s. The property was purchased in 1947 and construction began in 1953. It opened for worship on June 10, 1956.
Turkish Naval Academy
Just south of the ferry terminal is the Turkish Naval Academy. It was founded in 1773 and was relocated to Heybeliada from 1822 to 1838, 1850 to 1941, and from 1946 to the present.
St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery
St. George Greek Orthodox Monastery (Μονή του Αγίου Γεωργίου / Aya Yorgi Manastırı) is on the grounds of the naval academy. It’s very easy to miss if you aren’t paying attention. The exact date of its foundation is unknown but it has likely existed since the Byzantine period.
The current monastery was founded in the second half of the 16th century and was rebuilt in 1758 by Metropolitan Ioannikios Karatzas, who later became Ecumenical Patriarch Joannicius III (c. 1700-1793). From the middle of the 18th century until the middle of the 20th century, when the property was annexed by the Turkish Naval Academy, it was a Metochion of the Holy Sepulchre under the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. It has been closed to the public since it was annexed by the naval academy.
Kangelaris Family Mausoleum
The Kangelaris family mausoleum is on the grounds of the monastery. It was built in 1868 by Spyridon Kangelaris, for his wife Sevasti, who died on August 8, 1866. The tomb was designed in the Gothic and Neoclassical style and contains marble imported from Italy. You can spot it through the fence along the road.
Refah Şehitleri Street
If you’re into architecture, you’ll want to check out the wooden Ottoman homes and mansions along Refah Şehitleri Street (Refah Şehitleri Caddesi). Many were used as summer homes, and many have been restored since the time I took the photos.
İnönü House Museum
One highlight is the İnönü House Museum (İnönü Evi Müzesi), which was originally called the Mavromatakis Mansion (Mavromatakis Köşkü). The house was rented as a summer house in 1924 and later purchased by İsmet İnönü (1884-1973), a Turkish general and the second president of Turkey. He moved into the house permanently in September 1937 and spent most of his summers there in the 1950s and 60s. It’s open daily except Mondays and admission for foreigners is 240₺ (as of August 2025).
Halki Palace Hotel
Further down the street is the Halki Palace Hotel (Halki Palas Oteli). The first owner was Aristodimos Kozmetos, a Greek flour merchant from Romania. Between 1813 and 1918, it was used to house students from the Balkans, Trabzon, and Cappadocia, as well as other parts of the Ottoman Empire. The four-story house covered 3,934 square meters and contains two basements and additional outbuildings.
The Halki Palace Hotel was restored and reopened in 1989 as the Merit Halki Palace. It burned down in 1991 in a fire believed to have started in the fireplace. It was repaired and continues to serve as a hotel.
Exploring Outside Heybeliada Town
If you get a bike to explore the rest of the island, there are a few more points of interest. The bike rental outlets should be able to provide you with a map to find everything and get around, but it’s nearly impossible to get lost. There’s really only one main road making a ring around the island once you’re out of town.
Halki Seminary
Perhaps the reason the island of Heybeliada is internationally-known is the controversy surrounding Halki Seminary, which is covered in another post. It’s the main seminary for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and sits on a hill just above town. Unfortunately, it has been closed since 1971. Several international efforts by human rights groups and foreign governments to urge Turkey into reopening the seminary based on the basic human right of freedom of religion have thus far failed to make progress.
Değirmen Burnu
At the bottom of the hill where Halki Seminary is situated is Değirmen Burnu (Cape Değirmen). There’s a small road from town that winds around the hill into a park and beach. In the park are picnic tables and an old mill. There’s also a restaurant. Admission prices are current as of August 2025:
- Admission to the picnic area is 60₺ for adults and 30₺ for students and kids aged 7-12, and free for kids under 7.
- To get on the beach, it’s 600₺ on weekdays and 650₺ on weekends and holidays. Kids aged 7-12 get in for half price and kids under 7 are admitted free of charge. As a family beach, solo male guests are not accepted.
Upper Campus of the Turkish Naval Academy
A large building in between the two hills on the island is the upper campus of the Turkish Naval Academy. The grounds were originally home to the Monastery of Panagia Kamariotissa, established in the 11th century. It was rebuilt in 1796 by Alexander Ypsilantis (1725-1805), the Voivode of Wallachia, and from 1831 to 1916, it hosted the Commercial School of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
In 1916, the monastery was confiscated by the Ministry of the Navy to house the naval academy. The Patriarchate regained control in 1919 to house orphans and refugees of the Greco-Turkish War, but the Turkish Government regained control for good in 1942. A church built in 1341 still stands to this day but is used for storage and closed to visitors. The cantor stands from the church can be seen at the Church of St. George at the complex of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Çam Harbor
South of the Naval Academy is Çam Harbor (Çam Limanı). It was known as St. Mary’s Harbor during the Byzantine period and translates to Pine Harbor.
St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Monastery
On the west end of Çam Harbor is a small dirt road with some horses. Follow the road to the St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Monastery (Μονή του Αγίου Σπυρίδωνα / Aziz Spiridon Rum Ortodox Manastırı). In Turkish, it’s called “Terk-i Dünya” or “Leaving the World Behind” Monastery. There should be a caretaker on the grounds to let you into the church.
The monastery was built in 1868 by Arsenios Ganochoritis, a monk from Thrace. With the help of wealthy Greeks, he rebuilt it after it was destroyed during an earthquake in 1894. Ganochoritis was buried there at his request upon his death in 1906. Kyprianos Stylianidis, a priest from Kayseri, built a stone wall around the complex and made some repairs. Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I restored the monastery in 1954.
Heybeliada Sanatorium
On the east side of Çam Harbor is the abandoned Heybeliada Sanatorium. It was established by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (c. 1881-1938) and opened on November 1, 1924. It was the premier tuberculosis hospital in Turkey. Patients benefitted from fresh air from the island’s pine forests, four meals a day, and constant care.
In the 1940s, the sanatorium expanded with separate buildings constructed for staff and administration. A nursing school and rehabilitation center opened in 1954. Rehab patients were given courses in crafts such as shoemaking, photography, sculpture, and watchmaking, and many went on to become professionals. The sanatorium operated until it was closed by the Ministry of Health in 2005.
The buildings were allocated to the Presidency of Religious Affairs (Diyanet İşleri Başkanlığı) on August 8, 2018, in order to establish an Islamic education center. Several medical and legal organizations objects, and the courts cancelled the transfer because it wasn’t in accordance with the law.
The sanatorium sits on a cape just south of the harbor and is better seen from a distance. The staff and administrativee buildings are up on a hill to the east hidden behind some trees.
The Rest of Heybeliada
The rest of the island is covered in a beautiful forest. I followed the map indicating other points of interest, including the so-called Christ Monastery in the middle of the island, but found nothing.
Where to Eat on Heybeliada
You’ll find lots of places lining the street across from the ferry terminal.
Barbayani
Check out Barbayani, just across from the ferry terminal. It’s a Greek taverna that opened in the 1940s. There are all kinds of fish and seafood dishes on the menu as well as a few Greek and Turkish specialties. I had a very filling lamb güveç, which is a stew cooked in a clay dish. Others in my group had shrimp, calamari, octopus, and fish, which they all enjoyed.
