ISTANBUL’S YESILKOY, FEELING THE BREEZE OF THE MARMARA SEA
Today’s Zaman
Sept 7 2010
Turkey
Yesilkoy, part of the Bakirkoy Municipality, is situated along the
Marmara Sea, about 15 kilometers west of Istanbul’s old city.
For most travelers to Istanbul the first encounter with Yesilkoy is
from the air, for it is close to Ataturk Airport, which was named
Yesilkoy Airport before its modernization in the ’80s. Under this
name it figured in the James Bond movie “From Russia with Love.”
Due to how near it is to Ataturk Airport, Yesilkoy is connected to
aviation in many ways. It is where Turkish aviation was born. In 1912
the first hangars, landing/takeoff strips and other facilities for
aviation were built here. Six years later the YeÅ~_ilköy Airplane
Center became a school for pilots of the Ottoman Air Force, the
predecessor of the current Turkish Air Forces. Since 1951 YeÅ~_ilköy
has been the home of the Turkish Air Forces academy. Nearby is the
Aviation Museum, which opened its doors for the first time in 1985,
after having been moved from Izmir. The aviation museum exhibits a
range of historical airplanes and can be visited every day from 9
a.m. till 4 p.m., except on Monday and Tuesday.
Ties with aviation are also reflected in YeÅ~_ilköy’s two major
hotels.
Popular among aviation personnel is the Polat Renaissance Hotel, which
dominates the skyline of YeÅ~_ilköy with its 23 floors. The view from
the upper floors is magnificent. One can even see the bridge over
the Golden Horn in the distance. Next door to the Polat Renaissance
Hotel is the Cınar Hotel, one of Turkey’s first five star hotels.
As is often the case in Istanbul, the history of YeÅ~_ilköy is quite
interesting. Initially it was called Ayos Stefanos, after St. Stephen,
one of the first Christian martyrs. According the Acts of the Apostles
in the New Testament, St. Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob
due to an accusation of blasphemy. His remains were at first kept in
Jerusalem, but under Emperor Theodosius the younger, they were moved
by sea to Constantinople. However, according to legend the ship was
hit by a storm just before it reached the city, forcing the crew to
go ashore at the current YeÅ~_ilköy. The bones of St. Stephen were
temporarily kept here, giving the area its name.
Of course the question is how much of this legend is true, but that the
three churches in YeÅ~_ilköy are dedicated to St. Stephen is a fact.
Every year on Dec. 27 a special ritual is held: A priest throws a
small cross into the sea, after which it is brought back to shore by
young men of several religions. The day before, which is dedicated
to St. Stephen, an animal is sacrificed. This custom refers to the
food that was given by shepherds to the crew of the ship carrying
the remains of St. Stephen.
In 1203, after the Fourth Crusade the Christian army disembarked in
San Stefano, to conquer Constantinople a year later. It was quite
a while before the village again made its mark in Turkish history;
in the 19th century San Stefano and the adjacent Florya and Ataköy
became the property of the powerful Armenian Dadyan family, a present
from the sultan who was happy because of the gunpowder the Dadyans
supplied to the Ottoman Empire.
During the Crimean War (1853-1856), when France, Great Britain and
the Ottoman Empire went to war against Russia, YeÅ~_ilköy became
the base of the French army. The French military left a lighthouse
behind, the Ayastefanos Fener, located near the Polat Renaissance
Hotel. Nowadays it is the fish restaurant Fener, which treats its
guests to the only lighthouse museum in Turkey.
When the Russians tried to regain what they’d lost in the Crimean
War during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), their advance stopped
at YeÅ~_ilköy, after which the Treaty of San Stefano was signed by
Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The exact location was the beautiful
home (still standing) of the Simeonoglu family.
In 1909 the decision to banish Sultan Abdulhamid II to Thessaloniki
was taken by the Committee of Union and Progress in YeÅ~_ilköy. A
law in 1926 forced villages and cities to choose a Turkish name, so
San Stefano was renamed YeÅ~_ilköy (green village). The new name
emerged from the thoughts of the writer Halit Ziya UÅ~_aklıgil,
who lived here.
Beyond any doubt he felt inspired by the many trees in YeÅ~_ilköy. The
park between YeÅ~_ilköy center and the marinas is named after
UÅ~_aklıgil.
He wasn’t the only well-known Turk who lived in YeÅ~_ilköy,
however. In the 1940s six members of the Cingas family came from
Albania to Istanbul. They set up a popular place in YeÅ~_ilköy that
was frequented by many writers, musicians and poets. Vangel Cingas,
who later became know as Ancelo, read poetry here. His place became
so popular that reservations had to be made days in advance. Later
on the singers Ayten Alpman and Å~^ecaattin Tanyerli, as well as the
TV announcer Ugur Dundar, lived in YeÅ~_ilköy.
In the 19th century the population of YeÅ~_ilköy was a mixture of
Turks, Greeks, Armenians, French and Italians. An Armenian school is
a reminder of those days. It was a favorite sea resort for Istanbul’s
elite then, who also came to hunt. Nowadays Greeks, French, Italians
and hunting have disappeared. But YeÅ~_ilköy is still a popular
sea resort due to the beautiful wide beaches and many exquisite fish
restaurants. Its cozy center is filled with bars and restaurants.
Tourists from Holland will be surprised to find the van Gogh
restaurant, with several reproductions of paintings by the famous
Dutch expressionist.
Istanbul’s elite are also still present, along with many luxurious
examples of modern architecture and magnificent 19th century wooden
villas, which contribute to YeÅ~_ilköy being one of Istanbul’s most
splendid areas. But YeÅ~_ilköy is not only for the elite. It is a
popular destination for many, causing it to be especially crowded
on hot summer evenings — if there is a chance for a cool breeze in
Istanbul, it is in YeÅ~_ilköy.
YeÅ~_ilköy can be reached from Eminönu by train and by bus number
81. Or from Taksim Square by bus 72T, or dolmuÅ~_.
From: A. Papazian