Solo Travel in Istanbul Part 3 - Besiktas and the Asian Side

Hello my friends. So far in my posts I’ve always talked about the European side of Istanbul. However, there are magnificent structures on the Asian side that are well worth a visit and in today’s post, I want to share my trip there with you. But first, I wanted to include a short walk I took along the Beşiktaş coastline. Here, I visited the mosque that shares the same name as the coast. This mosque stands apart from other traditional religious structures in Istanbul. The Baroque and Rococo influences are clearly felt. Walking about two more kilometers along the shore, I saw another massive example of Ottoman Baroque, the Ortaköy Mosque. This is probably Istanbul’s most extraordinary and photogenic sacred site.

You can probably guess by now whose orders these structures were built under. Yes, Sultan Abdülmecid again. His name came up in the post where I talked about the palaces. These mosques were built during the same period as the new residence. However, unlike the palace, entry to the mosques is free. So I recommend going inside and enjoying those very unusual interiors. There’s something special about the palace and mosques were built right by the water of the Bosporus, the border of Europe and Asia blending Eastern and Western traditions.

After visiting the mosque, I headed from the coast toward the center. A new green space was recently created here and it impressed me the moment I saw it. I could say it was the greatest discovery of the day. I had only come to see Dolmabahçe. But when I saw this vast green area from the hill, I knew I had to stop by. I recommend going before sunset. An incredible view forms as the endles blue of the Bosphorus are bathed in sunlight. Walking here, lying on the grass and watching the sunset is very delightful. It’s clearly a very stylish place. The views in every direction are captivating.

Finally, I crossed over to the Asian side. It might sound strange, but one comes to the Asian side to find peace, feel the silence and walk along the calm shorelines. There is direct access to the water and the water is crystal clear. The landscaping is wonderful, far from the noise of tourists or motorcycles. Everywhere is filled with sun loungers and benches. The view of the Maiden’s Tower and the Bosphorus is magnificent. Normaly you’d think you go to the Asian side to see the chaos and colors of life. But in Istanbul it turns out you can cross to the east for comfort and tranquility.

On the Üsküdar coast I went across from the Maiden’s Tower. Of course, one must realize that the Asian side is not homogenous. There are also very lively and noisy places alongside these quiet areas. I decided to head toward the summer residence of the sultans and see its surroundings. These neighborhoods remind me a bit of Fatih. Slopes descending steply to the sea, lowrise buildings and charming wooden houses. While they are very pleasant places to explore, overcoming the never-ending elevation changes is not easy.

There is another very interesting place on the Asian side called Moda. I went to this place from Kadıköy. It was really bad luck because a very heavy rain started on the day I went to this place. I did not have time to look around this place because of the rain. I will definitely go back, to this place. After that I went to Beylerbeyi palace. It is the main summer residence of the nineteenth century. Due to the weather I only saw the walls. They look like fortress walls. Beylerbeyi was built eight years after Dolmabahçe. It was meant for resting and hosting guests. Then the sultanat was abolished. So Beylerbeyi was turned into a museum.

You will see the name Mustafa Kemal Atatürk everywhere you go in Turkey. His name means Father of the Turks. You can see pictures of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in lots of places not only on the streets of Turkey. But in cafes, hotels and government institutions. Sabiha Gökçen airport is named after his adoptive daughter. She was the world's first female fighter pilot. Atatürk was a very successfull commander. He led the resistance after World War I and radically changed the fate of Turkey.

Atatürk’s primary reform was the abolishen of the sultanat and the adoption of a constitution based on the European model. He introduced the principle of separation of powers and focused on industrialization. Another was the alphabet reform. The transition from the Arabic to the Latin alphabet. And he enacted revolutions equalizing the rightsof men and women. The most painful but important change was secularism. He established a secular state by removing the article stating Islam was the official religion from the constitution.

An interesting point I encountered most when telling my friends I was coming to Istanbul is the capital city issue. Many tourists assume Istanbul is the capital, but after Atatürk founded the republic, he moved the capital to Ankara. There were several reasons for this. Ankara being the center of the national struggle, the desire to move away from the sultanat and Istanbul being militarily vulnerable due to its border location. Ankara in the center of Anatolia, was a much more logical choice for security.

Another important structure on the Asian side is the Çamlıca Mosque. It is the greatest architectural symbol of the era. If the Suleymaniye belonged to the period of Suleiman the Magnificent, Çamlıca is the largest place of worship today. This mosque Located on a high hill and was designed with the comfort of women in mind. It features a seperate entrance, a nursery and nursing rooms. With its six minarets and massive capacity, it dominates the city. I couldn't see where Istanbul ended looking out from there. The city stretched endlessely in every direction.

The weather took a turn for the worse on my day in Asia. So I couldn't explore those parts as I wished. But I will come back again to see Moda, Bebek, Arnavutköy and the Princes islands.

Istanbul is a very rich and diverse city. There is a different atmosphere in every street. One needs to set aside a long time to discover it deeply. See you on my next travel posts, friends.