Ortaköy

Ortakoey is a neighbourhood in the Besiktas district of Istanbul, set on the European shore of the Bosporus directly beneath the pylons of the first Bosporus bridge. Until the 19th century Greek, Armenian and Jewish families lived here side by side, a legacy still legible in the synagogue, Taxiarch church and mosque crowded into a few streets. On weekends the square in front of the Mecidiye Mosque turns into a lively market of crafts and stuffed-bagel stalls, where locals queue for the kumpir loaded baked potato. Today Ortakoey is a meeting point for young Istanbulites, students and visitors who come for the bridge view or arrive by Bosporus ferry. Cafes, fish restaurants and ice-cream stalls line the waterfront promenade.