Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

founder of Turkey’s foremost commercial empire, this museum is housed in two late 19th-century yalıs and is a showcase of both Turkish-Islamic artefacts collected by Mrs Koç and antiquities from the noted Hüseyin Kocabaş collection. Objects include İznik and Kütahya ceramics, Ottoman silk textiles and needlework, and an exquisite collection of diadems from the Mycenaean, Archaic and classical periods. Labels are in English and Turkish, and there’s an excellent gift shop. To get here, alight from the ferry at Sarıyer and walk left (south) from the ferry dock for approximately 10 minutes. The residents of Sarıyer , the next village up from Büyükdere on the European shore, have traditionally made a living by fishing and it is still possible to see fisherfolk mending their nets and selling their catch north of the dock. 1 Sarıyer to Anadolu Kavaği From Sarıyer, it’s a short trip to Rumeli Kavağı , a sleepy place where the only excitement comes courtesy of the arrival and departure of the ferry. South of the town lies the shrine of the Muslim saint Telli Baba, reputed to be able to find suitable husbands for young women who pray there. Anadolu Kavağı , on the opposite shore, is where the Long Bosphorus Ferry Tour finishes its journey. Once a fishing village, its local economy now relies on the tourism trade and its main square is full of mediocre fish restaurants and their touts. Perched above the village are the ruins of Anadolu Kavağı Kalesi ( MAP ; Yoros Kalesi; Anadolu Kavağı; f Anadolu Kavağı) , a medieval castle overlooking the Black Sea and the Bosphorus. The castle originally had eight massive towers in its walls, but little of the original structure has survived. First built by the Byzantines, it was restored and reinforced by the Genoese in the 1300s, and later by the Ottomans. An archaeological excavation is underway and, as a result, access is limited. There are, however, great views of the recently opened Yavuz Sultan Selim (Third) Bridge. It takes 30 to 50 minutes to walk up to the fortress from the town. Alternatively, taxis wait near the fountain in