A short review. Heybeliada. A short overview of the Princes' Islands. Heybeliada Island

All about holidays on the Princes' Islands near Istanbul: how to get there, what to see and what to do. How much does it cost to rent a bicycle and chaise?

When two continents collide, it inevitably leads to some chaos. Likewise, Istanbul, the meeting point of Europe and Asia, presents a serene skyline with domes and minarets that rise above streets teeming with cars, merchants and tourists. Not far from here you can find an oasis of calm - these are the Princes' Islands. For most residents of Istanbul this is favorite place weekend getaway.

Those who are tired of constant traffic jams can deservedly escape from the bustling city and relax: cars are prohibited on the Princes' Islands. A ship sails on the Sea of Marmara to the islands, where, unlike large metropolis you can find peace, attractions and opportunities to ride a bike. And also - this is after all - the food here is very tasty.

There are 9 Princes' Islands, but the largest and most visited of them are Buyukada And Heybeliada. Why are they interesting?

Buyukada is the largest of nine islands near Istanbul

Princes' Islands: Buyukada

To immerse yourself in life on Büyükada's largest island, it's best to start in the town square, almost constantly filled with amazed tourists, and then head on foot or bike to other areas.

There are a lot of tents on the square offering bicycle rentals. It's obviously worth spending 20 Turkish lira (just over $9) for a pair of fast wheels. Those travelers who do not want to take a bicycle and walk can use a popular transport on the island - a small horse-drawn carriage called a phaeton.

A tour of the island's attractions on a phaeton costs about 30 liras per person, and a full day excursion will cost you 80 liras per hour.

In the city center, Büyükada begins to reveal its charm, showing how enticingly nature mixes with traditional Turkish architecture. Getting lost in the maze of alleys is almost as pleasant as exploring the pine forests of the island's overlying areas.

What to see on Buyukada Island?

The Monastery of St. George, dating back to the 6th century, is located on the highest hill of Büyükada and is a significant landmark of the Princes' Islands. It’s enough to just get here by bicycle or phaeton (the trip will cost about 30 liras), but a 20-minute climb on foot is also not much of a burden. At the end of the path, you will see a majestic view of the sea and the panorama of Istanbul, as well as the interior of the Greek church.

Where to stay in Buyukada?

Buyukada Island - although popular, is more common. Few people expect in advance that they will want to spend more time on this island. But those who have booked a hotel in the Princes' Islands in advance are most often satisfied and want more.

#1. Buyukada Princess Hotel

This is a villa overlooking the Marmara Sea, surrounded by flowers and palm trees. The rooms are spacious, with all possible amenities, but their main advantage is panoramic balconies and terraces. At your first request, you will be served breakfast overlooking the sea and the embankment.

#2. Buyukada Anastasia Meziki Hotel

Meziki Hotel is located in old mansion on one of the streets of Buyukada. The rather large rooms have antique furniture, wooden floors, gilded mirror frames - the atmosphere of the former Constantinople is accurately reproduced! The only negative: there are no balconies in the rooms. But on each floor there is a terrace from where you can still admire the view of the Sea of Marmara and the port.

#3. Ada Palas Hotel Buyukada

Small but very a beautiful hotel from the “old fund” of Büyükada. Rooms in a discreet “palace” style are popular among newlyweds and couples in love. It is pleasant to have breakfast in the morning in the cozy courtyard of the hotel. Although Ada Palas Hotel Buyukada has a good in-house restaurant, so you can order food at any time of the day. Wi-fi and other amenities of civilization are available.

Where to eat on Buyukada island?

Restaurants in the center of Büyükada are usually crowded, so you should definitely wander around looking for cafe Sinek with friendly staff and a terrier named Bidik, hidden from prying eyes. You can take one of the tables in the garden and watch the food being prepared on the open kitchen. The cafe's rather modest menu includes a common Turkish breakfast - fried eggs with preserved Turkish sausage, served on a metal frying pan.

Princes' Islands: Heybeliada

Heybeliada Island offers the same activities as Büyükada, but is much more pleasant in terms of tranquility and fewer tourists. You can rent a bicycle (5 liras per hour and 15 per day) or a phaeton, but walking A trip around the island will give you much more impressions. There are cozy cafes, shops, flower shops, lazy street cats and, of course, architecture.

Old buildings on Heybeliada Island

What to see on Heybeliada Island?

Khalki Theological School- a structure visible from the sea, rising on high mountain and surrounded by pine trees, was formerly a theological school headed by the Patriarch of Constantinople. The school ceased to exist in 1971, but its doors are today open to tourists. The building also houses the Chapel of the Holy Trinity and a garden whose views are so breathtaking that they seem divine. The school library still operates and is always happy to welcome specialists who come to study the extensive collection of 120 thousand ancient books on geography, history, theology and philosophy;
Isguzar Sokak - uh then the street near the city center is best stores and a cafe. Among them is Evden, offering more than 70 types of jam and marmalade made by the owner. Nearby is the vintage cafe Luz, which sells Turkish pastries, as well as a small shop with organic soap. self made. On the other side of the street, handmade notebooks, crafts made from warped gramophone records, birds made of wood and other unique items are sold. Nearby there is a store with rare radios, furniture and accessories.

How to get to the Princes' Islands

The easiest way to get to the islands from Istanbul is by ferry. WITH Asian side ships depart from several ports almost every hour. They make stops at Buyukada, Heybeliada and the smaller islands of Burgazade and Kinaliada. WITH European side Ferries leave hourly from Kabatas heading to the Princes' Islands.

You can pay for travel with a special card used for traveling on public transport in Istanbul. Or buy a ticket (token) from the machines located in the port. The crossing takes approximately one and a half hours.

You can also take the small ship Mavi Marmara, which will take you from Istanbul to the Princes' Islands faster. The ticket costs 5 liras.

Princes' Islands on the map of Istanbul

Excursions in Istanbul and surrounding areas

The best excursions you can find in Istanbul are unusual routes organized by local residents.

Adalary (translated from Turkish as “islands”) are 9 islands in the Sea of Marmara near Istanbul. Officially, they belong to the province of Istanbul, forming one of its administrative districts, which is called the Adalary district.

In total, the archipelago has 9 islands, but to visit Only 4 of them are open:

Büyükada- the largest of the adalars, its area is about 5.36 square meters. km,
Heybeliada,
Burgazada,
Kınalıada.

Adalar Sedefadasi, located approximately 1100 meters from the furthest island accessible to tourists, Buyukada, is half populated, but ferries do not go there, so it is closed to tourists.

Two islands - Kaşıkadası and Yassyada- are private properties, and two more - Sivriada and Tavşanadası and completely uninhabited.

Interesting fact. About 1000 years ago there were 10 islands, but one of them, called Vordonisi, went under water after a strong earthquake. They say that when filming from the air, this sunken adalar is clearly visible.

Throughout their existence, the islands have been called by a variety of names: Holy, Divided, Public, Islands of the Soul. But the most famous and well-established name turned out to be the Princes' Islands. And they were named so because, from the beginning of the Roman to the end of the Byzantine period, unwanted princes, princesses and aristocracy referred to them. Here they had to live until their death, unable to return to the mainland.

All islands are inhabited by coastline, in the middle of the islands there are mountains and forests

The most famous exile of the islands is Empress Irene, mother of Emperor Constantine VI.

The ferry service between Istanbul and Adalari was opened in 1946. Since that time, the islands have become a favorite vacation spot for Istanbul residents, and permanent residents appear here. Also, many rich Istanbul residents build country houses here.

How to get from Istanbul to the Princes' Islands on your own

Most cheap way to get to the islands (which we also took advantage of) is a ferry, equivalent to (Adalary is part of Istanbul). Ticket price using Istanbul Card - total 5.2 liras ($1.4) per person. There are also private ferries, they cost more - about 7 lira. You can also buy a Bosphorus tour, it will cost 15 liras ($4.1)

Here you can buy a 1.5 hour Bosphorus tour

In my opinion, much more interesting than tours along the Bosphorus independent trip to the islands. In this case, you can see all the delights of the strait, and have plenty of walks around the islands, and as a bonus, watch an amazing sunset on the water (if you leave the islands at about 17:30, like we did).

Ferries depart from any pier in Istanbul: Kabatash, Sirkeci or Eminönü on the European side of Istanbul or Bostanci, Kadikoy and Kartal on the Asian side of the city.

We boarded the ferry at Eminönü pier (the closest pier to the Sultanahmet area), so we will share the tram schedule on the Eminönü-Adalari route:

There are always many people who want to go to Adalary on the public ferry. And on weekends there are simply an incredible number of people interested. We arrived on the ferry about 20 minutes before departure, and we only managed to take seats on the floor of the upper deck (later it turned out that these seats at the stern were very VIP).

Our VIP seats at the stern

Those who arrived later had to sit in the aisles or simply stand between people sitting on the floor, because there was nowhere to sit.

It's still free, soon every centimeter of the deck will be occupied

However, among all this human chaos, throughout the entire trip, an old man deftly squeezed between people with a whole tray of glasses of hot tea, which anyone could buy.

If you are lucky enough to squeeze onto the side, you can see a bunch of seagulls flying behind the ferry:

Seagulls see you too:

Ferry passengers throw pieces of bread to the seagulls, and sometimes a clever seagull can catch a piece on the fly.

Which islands are included in the archipelago and which one should you choose to visit?

Usually tourists spend only one day on Adalary, during which they have time to visit only one island. Most often, the choice falls on the Buyukada adalar, as the largest and most interesting. Of course, you can quickly explore all 4 islands in 1 day, but we didn’t just want to visit them “for show,” but to feel the atmosphere.

We also chose Buyukada for a detailed inspection, but let’s get to know a little about all four islands available for visiting (in order of distance from Istanbul).

Kynalyada

Hotel photo:

Eskibağ Butik Hotel

Room rates start at $32 (depending on season). The price includes breakfast according to the system Buffet. Some rooms have beams with stunning sea views.

Hotel photo:

Other hotels in Buyukada:

At 17:30 we boarded our ferry to Istanbul.

Bye-bye, Buyukada!

We chose the best time to set sail - along the way we caught an amazing sunset:

The beginning of sunset in the Sea of Marmara

Passing the island of Heybeliada

Sunset at Kadikoy pier

And finally - the “wrong side” of the sunset, the setting sun reflected in the windows of Istanbul houses:

One of the warm ones May days we spent on the Princes' Islands near Istanbul. On the third day of our stay in Istanbul, we planned a trip somewhere outside the city. We chose from two options:

Princes' Islands (Adalary), which are about an hour and a half ferry ride from the city

Thermal springs in Yalova

One of the Princes' Islands - Kynalyada

Princes' Islands or Adalar

So, Prince's Islands which are often called Adalarami(“Adalar” means “island”) is a group of 9 islands that are located in the Sea of Marmara at a distance of 18-35 km from Istanbul. Previously, there were 10 of these islands, but one of them went under water during the earthquake, now only 9 islands remain.

Four of these islands are inhabited and open to the public, these are the islands:

and the largest Adalar - Buyukada

One Island Kashikadasy is private property, the other four islands are uninhabited. In total, about 10 thousand people live on Adalary.

The Princes' Islands received this name from the fact that during the Byzantine Empire, people from the noble class who were disliked by the rulers were sent into exile here. Later, when the islands were captured by the Turks in 1453, they were also used for exile. In the 19th century, rich Turks began to build dachas and country houses on Adalary. Now this is a favorite vacation spot for Istanbul residents. Some come here for the weekend, some live all summer.

Sometimes the Princes' Islands are also called Kizil Adalari, i.e. red islands, due to the color of the soil on them.

Princes' Islands Istanbul: how to get there

You can get to the Princes' Islands by ferry from the Asian part of the city from the piers:

Bostanci
Kadikoy
Kartal

Or from the piers from the European part of Istanbul:

Eminönü
Kabatash

Transportation is carried out by several companies, this moment Ferries operate to the Princes' Islands from the following companies:

Şehir Hatları
Dentur (operate only in the warm season)

The schedule changes frequently; in the photo, the ferry schedule to the Princes' Islands from Dentur:

I advise you to check the ferry schedule on the following websites:

Cost of ferry Şehir Hatları to Adalari

Ferry cost from Dentur

10 liras one way, Istanbul cards NOT valid

How to get to the Princes' Islands from Sultanahmet?

You need to get to one of the piers and take the ferry there. At the moment (summer 2019), the most convenient way is to use the Eminonu pier, from which Şehir Hatları ferries depart. This pier is located next to the Eminönü tram stop T1 nearby.

How we visited the Princes' Islands

We were guided by the schedule of the Dentur company, which I photographed the day before the trip, when we sailed to Kabatas before visiting the fortress. The first ferry leaves at 9:30, but we thought it was very early and decided to take the ferry at 10:30. I thought for a long time about which island to sail to, which ones are best to see: I read that the island of Heybeliada is very good, but for some reason the most popular is Buyukada. We decided to visit the most popular island for the first time.

We got to the Kabatash pier by tram (about public transport in Istanbuy, I wrote in), there, at the tram stop, they put money on an Istanbul card to pay for her passage to the islands and ran to the ferry. Near the Dentur ticket office there was a sign that tickets cost 10 lire. I asked if it was possible to pay with an Istanbul card, and they told me that it was not possible. Oh, why did we put so much money on the card then? After all, the next day we had to leave Istanbul and we wouldn’t have spent that much money anyway. At the same time, as I already wrote, the balance from the Istanbul card is not refundable.

Then we decided to go to the neighboring pier (if you look at the sea, the Dentur pier is to the left of the tram stop, and we walked, or rather ran, to catch the ferry, to the right, to another pier). This is the pier of the municipal ferry to the Princes' Islands and here you could pay for the Istanbul fare with a card. Traveling along it costs 5.2 liras.

We went into the waiting room and were horrified by the number of people!

Everyone wants to go to the Princes' Islands! 🙂

We realized that going to the Princes' Islands on a day off (and it was Saturday) was not very good idea. But there was no turning back 🙂 And I really wanted to go to the sea, outside the city.

We managed to get on the ferry among the first and took seats on the upper open deck.

There were more and more people, and soon there was not only no way to sit down, but also to stand on the deck. There were tourists here (very loud and uncultured Italians of retirement age sat next to us and smoked constantly) and local residents, mostly young people and families with children.

Finally we set sail. The weather was sunny and quite warm, but everything was foggy, so the photos weren’t very clear.

After about 15 minutes, the ferry makes a stop in the Asian part of Istanbul at the Kadikoy pier:

And I don’t understand where this large crowd of people who want to sail fit in :)

Then the ferry sailed along the Sea of Marmara, seagulls accompanied us all the way. IN good weather you can see the entire Asian coast of Istanbul, but we were accompanied by fog, which gave us a not very pleasant surprise, but we didn’t know about it at that moment, but simply enjoyed the sun and sea breeze on the deck of the ship.

Kynalyada Island

About an hour later we landed on the first island - . Some people went ashore, but most planned to swim further. We are sitting, waiting for departure. So 15 minutes passed, and the ferry was not going anywhere. A little later something was announced over the loudspeaker in Turkish and English languages. But the noise made it very difficult to make out anything. I understood one thing: the ferry cannot sail yet. But why is not clear. Either he ran out of gas or something else.

A few minutes later, another ship from Istanbul sailed up, stood next to ours, and people from the newly arrived ferry began to move onto our ferry. It all seemed very strange to us. I went downstairs to find out what was going on. From the conversations I understood only one thing: until the ferries sail anywhere. And why is not clear. After a walk along the street near the pier, I returned to the deck again. And the sun began to get hotter and hotter. We decided to take a walk around the island, since we had already arrived on it and were waiting for something unknown. But it was scary to go far, in case the ferry suddenly took over and sailed away without us. So we just walked down the street a little and returned to the boat again. And then we learned that the ferry was not sailing because of the fog, that navigation was now completely closed, and it was not known whether we would sail from here at all today. Of course, such information did not make us happy, but we did not panic, like many who had a plane that evening! So take this scenario into account when you sail to the Princes’ Islands, or anywhere on the water in general. After all, I had the idea of sailing to the islands on the last day of my stay in Istanbul!

We went for a walk around Kynalyada Island. Let's go to the right, if you stand with your back to the sea. There is an embankment along the sea, along which palm trees are planted.

Near the pier there is a small beach and a cafe. We wanted to sit and drink beer here, but we still hoped that the ferry would depart soon.

Right here beautiful houses, where so far (the month of May) is very sparsely crowded.

We pass the island of Burgazada - a very pretty island

Buyukada Island

About forty minutes later, having refreshed ourselves with a bun and coffee at the bar, we arrived on the island Buyukada.

We sail to the island of Buyukada

It is the largest of all the Princes' Islands and the most popular. The area of the island is about 5.4 square meters. m. Population is about 7,335 people. Leon Trotsky lived on Büyükada for four years. There is a mosque and many churches on the island. The monastery of St. George is located high on the mountain, but we didn’t get into it; there was no time left to explore the island.

Having landed on the island, the first thing we did was find out when the last ferry to Istanbul would be. Nobody really could say anything. According to the schedule, the last ferry was at 20:45, but it was scary to count on it, because in order for it to sail at 20:45 a ferry had to arrive from Istanbul. The next flight was at 18:30. And we arrived on the island at 17:15. We had just over an hour to explore the island.

We walked a little along the piers and looked for the departure schedule for ships of other companies. We didn’t understand anything, all the signs were in Turkish, we just saw a huge line of people wanting to sail away from the island.

We decided to walk a little and return to the ferry at 18:30.

The island greeted us with a large crowd of people in the central square

The central square near the pier is always crowded here

There are also many restaurants and coffee shops here. Buyukada Island is famous for its delicious fresh fish. We wanted to eat, but we didn't have time for it.

There is also a clock tower right there; usually, if someone gets lost, they default to the clock tower

On every corner they sell the hit of the season - headbands with flowers.

It is worth noting that any transport is prohibited on the Princes' Islands. You can use:

only carriages with horses (phaeton)
rent a bike.
They are about to ban horse-drawn carts and launch electric cars instead...

When we went to Buyukada, we planned that we would take a carriage with horses and ride around the island on it.

Cost per cart (1 hour round) - 80 liras
Bicycle rental - 10 liras per hour

Can be ordered individual tour"" with a Russian-speaking guide and get to know the island of Buyukada in great detail.

This is the transport on Adalary

We didn’t have much time and we decided to walk a little and see at least some of the sights of the Princes’ Islands :) We went to the right along the coast. From the observation point there is a view of the pier, a crowd of people and our boat.

Everything is blooming everywhere. The acacia was already blooming there in May!

And what a smell of pine there is! There is also one in Büyükada Observation deck high in the mountains, with magnificent views of the sea and the Princes' Islands.

The island has several beaches, entrance to which is 40 liras per person.

But, unfortunately, we had to return to the pier. We didn’t want to stay on the island overnight, because we had a plane back to Moscow the next day. Although, if possible, I would live for a couple of days on the Princes' Islands. All conditions for this have been created here. You can rent a house, or you can stay in a hotel.

And we ran to the ferry. We made it on time and a few minutes later our boat set off on its return voyage to Istanbul. Goodbye Princes' Islands! We will definitely come back.

A short video about our trip to the Princes' Islands

And on the way back we watched a magnificent sunset over Istanbul

And admired the Maiden Tower in the rays of sunset

And then we still had enough strength to go down to the subway and go to shopping mall for shopping! But shopping in Istanbul is a different story :)

If you are going to Istanbul and choosing an area and a hotel to stay, I advise you to read these articles.

The Princes' Islands are an archipelago off the Asian coast of the Sea of Marmara and the most popular resort Istanbul. People come here to take a break from the frantic rhythm of the metropolis, to breathe fresh sea air or have a family picnic. Locals simply call the archipelago adalar, which literally means “islands,” and visitors call them “Prince’s Islands.”

Princes' Islands near Istanbul

Over the centuries, the islands changed their name several times - Christian, Red and even Evil Spirits, so they were called depending on historical events and functions. During Byzantine times, disgraced princes and princesses, their relatives and clergy were exiled here to communicate, so to speak, with God in solitude. Besides these, the ruling kings here had summer residences, and they rested from righteous labors. Already during the time of the Ottomans, guilty nobles continued to be exiled here, and the islands continued to be flooded with clergy and Christians. The rights to own the islands were transferred at this time to the Greek Patriarch. The name “Red Islands” comes from the fact that the soils of the islands are very rich in iron and have a reddish color. In the second half of the 19th century, Turkish bohemians began to build summer mansions here, and in 1846 a steamship began sailing from the islands.

On a note

This archipelago includes nine islands, but only four of them have regular ferry service, although five are inhabited. Buyukada is the largest and most visited island, followed by Heybeliada. Prohibited on all islands car traffic and on these two very large islands You can travel on a phaeton. The horses will be waiting for you at the ferry pier. Next in size are Burgazadasy and Kynalyada. You can travel along them on foot or by bicycle. There is also a tiny inhabited island called Sedefadası, and the island of Kashikadası is privately owned. The remaining three islands - Sivriada, Yassyada, and Tavshanadasy are not inhabited. And now a little about each of the islands.

Excursions in Istanbul

Buyukada Island. Princes' Islands

Buyukada literally and translated as “ big Island" The island covers an area of 5.4 km². I was once on this island convent, to which nuns of advanced age and women unnecessary to the court were exiled. The monastery was founded by Empress Irina, who later found refuge within its walls. On the island they organically coexist with each other Muslim mosques, Jewish synagogues and Christian churches. You can visit the current Church of St. Demetrius. At the top of the Yucitepe cliff, after climbing a steep path, you will see the monastery of St. George and healing spring, into which Orthodox Christians can plunge. Every year on April 23, thousands of pilgrims come to the monastery to pray to the miraculous icon of St. George. The island is home to the world's oldest wooden building, the Greek Orphanage, which served as an orphanage for Greek children in the 20th century. Now the building is historical monument.

Prince's Islands. Heybeliada Island

The name of the island Heybeliada translates as “island with a bag”, since its shape resembles a Heide saddle pack. This is the second largest island in the archipelago, only three kilometers long and one and a half kilometers wide. The island was once called Demonisos and there was a tiny fishing village and three monasteries. As the island's population increased, a trade school and a maritime school appeared here. The island will be interesting to visit for those travelers who are interested in ancient Christian shrines. There are several of them here - the 14th-century monastery of St. Mary, the monasteries of Aya Tsorgi Uchurum and Terki Dunya. There is also the Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas. There is a lot on the island excursion programs, such as donkey and phaeton tours. You can spend time in wonderful national restaurants and a cafe, and having climbed to the very high point Islands – Degirmentepe Hill you can arrange a picnic for the whole family.

Burgaz Island or Burgazada

Burgazada translates as "fortress" and is the third largest island in the Princes' Islands archipelago. It is square in shape, its length and width are the same - two kilometers. The island began to be inhabited only in the 20th century. Mostly wealthy Turks live here, and the main population is only one and a half thousand people. On the island there is the Church of St. John the Baptist Ayia Tsani, which dates back to the 9th century. Now the church has been restored and looks modern, and its beautiful domes are visible from afar. It is also worth visiting the monastery of Jesus Christ and the holy spring of Ayios Loanis. Tourists flock here in the summer to enjoy picturesque panoramas and see a fantastically beautiful sunset at the Kalpazankaya rock.

Kynalyada Island. Prince's Islands.

If you just want to spend time on the beach, go to Kınaliada Island, which is only 50 minutes from Istanbul and has a large pier right next to pebble beach. The name of this island in translation sounds quite original - “the island with henna”, and all because the lands of the island have a reddish tint of iron. There are also small bushes growing on the island, which also creates the effect of the reddish shades of the island. Kinalyada is not as popular among tourists as the previous three islands, since it is not particularly green and there are mostly stones all around. On the hill rises the main curiosity of the island - the Monastery of Christ. Tourists come here for the sun, sea and beaches; Monastic Bay is especially popular.

Sedefadası or Sedef Island

And closing the chain of populated islands of the archipelago is tiny Sedefadasy (its length is 1300 meters, width 1100 meters). It translates like this complicated name, like “mother-of-pearl island”. Once upon a time, lush vegetation of evergreen trees and plants rustled here, and from afar it resembled a piece of mother-of-pearl. But over time, the lush vegetation withered away and the island’s landscape is mostly “bald.” mountain slopes. But in 1850, Damat Fetih Pasha began to own the island. Under him, the island was greened again - olive trees, various vegetables and fruits were planted.

After the death of the pasha, the island was again neglected, and during the First World War all the trees were cut down. The island became completely deserted, and only seabirds settled here. Like other islands, in ancient times Sedefadasy served as a place of exile for royalty and clergy, and you will see ancient monasteries here. In 1956, the island came into private ownership to the son of the poet Hussein Siret. His family created a construction cooperative here, thanks to which the island appeared in the same year locality and the ferry began to operate, which began to attract tourists here during the season, and local residents for picnics on weekends.

Other islands of the Princes' Islands archipelago

The remaining islands of the archipelago are more remote and uninhabited. Kashikadasy is shaped like a spoon, which is why it literally means “spoon island”. It is very small (0.06 km²) and is privately owned. There are only a few buildings and a small pier on the island. The most remote island of the archipelago, Sivriada, has the shape of a pyramid, for which it is called “pointed”. It is also called Khayirsyzada, which translates as “useless.” Around the island the sea is very rich in fish and seafood. Local residents of the archipelago itself like to relax here, apparently hiding from tourists during the season. The central historical site of the island is the Sivriada Monastery, which dates back to the 10th century and is now empty.

Tavshanadasy is the smallest island of the archipelago (only 0.04 km²). It got its name due to the fact that there are a lot of hares here. It is privately owned and uninhabited. Another small island of Yassyada has an area of only 0.05 km². Translated, its name means “flat”. The island is very green and beautiful, but, unfortunately, there have been no excursions on it for a long time. Now funds are being invested in the island, and it is gradually coming to life - new buildings are being built and old ones are being restored. Since 2013, the island has the status tourist site and its new name is “Island of Democracy and Freedom”.

Holidays on the Princes' Islands

The Princes' Islands are beautiful and the most mysterious places Turkey. Here you will find both untouched nature and beautiful landscapes, and ancient sights. On big islands you can sunbathe and stroll around sandy beaches in the bays, and you can also rent a bicycle and travel on wheels, visiting churches, mosques and beautiful wooden houses built in the Victorian style. They are also attractive because of their excellent affordable service. A outlying islands will be interested in ancient shrines and virgin wildlife. You can spend a day on the islands, or you can live for a while, renting a luxury house or hotel. And of course, the islands have many wonderful restaurants and cafes with wonderful cuisine, both European and European. The Princes' Islands are perhaps the quietest and cleanest corners of bustling Istanbul, where everyone will find something for themselves.

It can be useful

Prince's Islands. How to get there

You can get to the Princes' Islands by municipal ferries from Kabatash, Kadikoy, Bostanci. Ferries depart from Kabatas early in the morning and run until late in the evening. The first stop is in 30 minutes in Kadikoy, and then the ferry sails to the islands. After half an hour it stops in Kınalyada, after 15 minutes it arrives in Burgazadası and after another 15 minutes in Heybeliada and then in Büyükada. From Bostanci the stops go in the reverse order. You can sail to the islands from various piers in Istanbul by sea buses. The ferry schedule differs on weekdays and weekends, as well as in winter and summer period. The cost of travel to the islands is approximately 5 T.L

Heybeliada Island (Bag Island)

Heybeliada (bag island) is the second largest island of the Princes' Islands. Its area is 2.4 square kilometers. The island is home to a large number of copper mines, which is why it was called “Kalkitis” during the Byzantine Empire.

Also in the past, this island was called “Demonisos”; there was a small fishing settlement and several monasteries on it.

Around the 19th century, population growth began, and by the 20th century various institutions began to open on the island. Heybeliada will be interesting for tourists thanks to the Church of St. Mary, which was built in the mid-14th century.

Today, a naval cadet school is located on the island. Most suitable place for picnics is the so-called Mill Cape (Degirmen Burnu). This interesting name The cape was created because of the ruins of an old mill that have survived to this day. In addition, for a fee you can ride a donkey and visit market square, which is located near the Church of St. Nicholas.

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