Relax in Charming Ortaköy

Ortaköy sits on the European shore of the Bosphorus, a small waterfront neighborhood with an outsized reputation. For centuries it was home to Greek, Armenian, Jewish, and Turkish communities side by side, and traces of that mix remain. Today the quay draws crowds for two things above all. The first is the Ortaköy Mosque, set right at the water's edge with the Bosphorus Bridge behind it, one of the most photographed views in the city. The second is kumpir, the loaded baked potato sold from a row of competing stalls. Add weekend craft markets, art galleries, and waterfront cafés, and an afternoon here stretches easily into sunset.

What to do in Ortaköy

• Ortaköy Mosque: the elegant 19th-century mosque at the water’s edge with the Bosphorus Bridge behind it.
• Kumpir and waffles: the famous loaded baked potatoes and waffle stands by the square.
• Craft stalls and small shops in the lanes behind the quay.
• Bosphorus boats: short cruises leave from the Ortaköy pier.

Tips

• Best photos: late afternoon and sunset from the quay.
• Walk the shore south to Beşiktaş past Çırağan Palace, or north towards Bebek.
• Getting there: buses from Kabataş and Beşiktaş; there is no metro nearby.

What’s nearby

Try a kumpir, take a Bosphorus cruise, or walk to Beşiktaş.

Photos: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0; Calistemon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons