Historical Akaret Sarıevler Street

Akaret Sarıevler Street in Beşiktaş is considered Turkey's first mass-housing project, commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz and designed in 1875 by Armenian-Ottoman architect Sarkis Balyan. The symmetrical row houses, built in an Ottoman-neogothic style, originally served as staff quarters for guards and palace officials of the nearby Dolmabahçe Palace. The uniform streetscape is remarkably coherent despite later restorations that critics note departed from the original forms. Today, restaurants, cafés, and bars occupy the ground floors of the historic buildings, and the street becomes notably vibrant on weekday evenings and weekends — a popular backdrop for street photography and fashion shoots.