Kadikoy

Kadikoy is a large and populous cosmopolitan district on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, on the shore of the Sea of Marmara, facing the historic city centre on the European side of the Bosphorus. Kadikoy is a residential and commercial district, and with its numerous bars, cinemas and bookshops, is the cultural centre of the Anatolian side. It became a district in 1928 when it seceded from Uskudar.

There are no buildings of historical significance in the beautiful district of Kadikoy on the shores of the Marmara. It has been one of the fastest growing districts in Istanbul for the last 20 years. This is the site of the ancient village of Chalcedon. Later many monasteries were built on this site and the early Christian Ecumenical Council met here several times in the 5th century.

Only a few of the later mansions set in beautiful gardens have survived to our day. Yacht clubs, marinas and wide roads line the shores of Kadikoy.Kadikoy is a busy shopping district, with a wide variety of atmospheres and architectural styles. The streets are varied, some being narrow alleyways and others, such as Bahariye Caddesi, being pedestrianised avenues. There are also modern shopping centres, most notably the large Carrefour Nautilus Shopping Mall behind the centrum of Kadikoy, and pavements crowded with street vendors selling socks, pirated copies of popular novels, and other products. In the streets behind the main post office, there is a large number of well-known bookshops selling both new and second-hand books, craft-shops and picture-framers, and a number of shops selling music CDs and related ephemera such as film posters and t-shirts. Hard Rock and Heavy Metal music is sold in the arcade named Akmar Pasaji, where associated items are also sold. On Sundays this area becomes a large second-hand book and music street market.

At the top of the shopping district there is an intersection, with a statue of a bull, called Altiyol (Six Ways), where a road leads to the civic buildings and a huge street market called Sali Pazari (Tuesday Market).

Fenerbahce is an ideal place for picnics and promenades. The Baghdad Avenue is famous for the shopping opportunities it offers. On the Uskudar side of the district, there is the Haydarpasa Railway Station built in 1906 in the Prussian architectural style.This was the first (or last) stop of the Istanbul-Baghdad railway. The cemeteries and monuments for the British and French soldiers who lost their lives in the Crimean War are situated on the slopes near the station, next to the large military hospital.

There are two colossal buildings behind the commercial port facilities. The one with the clock tower, the former Haydarpasa High School, now houses a section of the university. The second building with four big towers is the Selimiye Barracks.

During the Crimean War (19th century), Florence Nightingale served here as a nurse and her room is preserved.

Source: http://english.istanbul.gov.tr

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