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Arnavutköy, a Bosphorus Village in Istanbul

A row of Ottoman wooden houses on the Arnavutköy waterfront with a boat on the Bosphorus
Photo: Özgür Okkalı, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

The essentials in 10 seconds

Entry
Free — streets, waterfront, mosque and church
Hours
Open 24/7; come by day — the waterfront façades catch the morning and midday light
Time on site
A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes.
1 h
With kids
Fine with kids
Where
European shore, Beşiktaş district, between Ortaköy and Bebek
Bus from Kabataş
No. 22 or 40T along the shore, ≈ 15–20 min
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Bus from Beşiktaş
No. 22, 22RE, 40, 40T, ≈ 12–15 min
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Ferry
Şehir Hatları commuter ferries call only occasionally — check the timetable
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Metro
None nearby; the M2 stations are up the hill — take the bus
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
To Bebek
≈ 25 min walk along the water
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Paying
Istanbulkart
verifyingFrom reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go.
Map pin
Arnavutköy ferry pier (Arnavutköy İskelesi)
Coordinates
41.06704, 29.04414YesGo MapGoogleApple

Key facts

Mega Revma“Great Current” — the Byzantine name, after the fierce Bosphorus current off the point
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaNomadic Niko Arnavutköy guide
1468Mehmed II settled Albanians here, hence Arnavutköy — “Albanian village”
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaNomadic Niko (one guide dates the settlement to the 19th century)
Akıntıburnuthe “Cape of the Current”, where small boats once had to be towed round on ropes
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaTurkey from the Inside
1830sMahmud II built the Tevfikiye Mosque by the cape in honour of his son, Prince Tevfik
3 sourcesNomadic NikoHopp Museum, Budapest, photo captionNTV
1804Beyhan Sultan, daughter of Mustafa III, built the Baroque fountain on the bend towards Bebek
2 sourcesNomadic NikoEnglish Wikipedia: Beyhan Sultan (daughter of Mustafa III)
1890sthe Greek Orthodox Church of the Archangels (Taksiarhis) was rebuilt after the 1894 earthquake
2 sourcesNomadic NikoTurkey from the Inside
Greek villageGreeks were the majority until the early 20th century; the waterfront houses date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipedia (1912 Ottoman yearbook)Nomadic Niko
StrawberriesArnavutköy was famous for its strawberries; a few fields survive inland
2 sourcesEnglish WikipediaTurkish Wikipedia
Beşiktaşthe village is a quarter of Beşiktaş district, between Kuruçeşme and Bebek
2 sourcesTurkish WikipediaWikidata Q1095321
ISTIstanbul Airport is in a different Arnavutköy — a separate district in the city’s north-west
2 sourcesEnglish Wikipedia: Istanbul Airportairport operator İGA

Is Arnavutköy worth visiting?

Yes, if you are already walking the European shore. It has the best-kept row of wooden houses on the Bosphorus, good fish restaurants and almost no tour groups — and it is free.

It is not worth a separate trip if you only have a day or two: a Bosphorus ferry passes right along the waterfront, and the houses look best from the water anyway. Pair it with Ortaköy and Bebek instead.

How to get to Arnavutköy from Sultanahmet

Tap a route to highlight it on the map.

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on foottram T1destinationStreet view

Where are you starting from?

We’ll draw it on the map: on foot, by tram and by taxi. Your location isn’t stored.

On foot

  • Bebek is about 21 min away on foot.

More tips

  1. Take tram T1 to the end of the line at Kabataş — about 25 minutes from Sultanahmet.
  2. At the Kabataş stop, catch bus 22 or 40T heading north along the shore. Tap in with Istanbulkart.
  3. Ride 15–20 minutes, past Dolmabahçe and Ortaköy, and get off at Arnavutköy İskelesi (the pier). The coast road jams at rush hour, so allow extra time.
  4. From Beşiktaş the same buses run, plus 22RE and 40 — 12–15 minutes.
  5. Şehir Hatları ferries call at the pier only occasionally. Check the timetable before you count on one; otherwise take the bus.
  6. Head back by bus towards Kabataş, or walk on to Bebek and catch the 22 from there.

Things to do in Arnavutköy

  • Wooden houses on the waterfront — the reason to come. Walk on the water side of the road to see the Bosphorus façades.
  • Tevfikiye Mosque by Akıntıburnu — a wooden 1830s mosque with a stone minaret.
  • Akıntıburnu point — the strongest current on the Bosphorus, anglers on the railing and a view across to Asia.
  • Beyhan Sultan Fountain (1804) — on the bend in the road towards Bebek.
  • Church of the Archangels (Taksiarhis) — a Greek Orthodox church rebuilt in the 1890s, a few streets inland. Not always open.
  • The back lanes — wooden houses, cafés and bakeries climbing the hill, quieter than the shore.
  • Fish restaurants by the pier — the reason many Istanbulites come here.

The Arnavutköy to Bebek walk

From the pier, walk north along the water — round Akıntıburnu, past the Beyhan Sultan Fountain, into the bay at Bebek. It takes about 25 minutes on a pavement right by the water, with anglers and the Asian shore for company.

One honest drawback: the coast road runs between the houses and the sea, so traffic passes right in front of the façades. Stand by the railing on the water side, or see the row from a ferry — that is the classic view.

Want more? Carry on past Bebek to Rumelihisarı and Emirgan Park by bus.

Fish restaurants in Arnavutköy

The waterfront by the pier is lined with fish restaurants and meyhanes, and this is where locals come for a long seafood dinner. Order what is in season — bluefish (lüfer) and bonito (palamut) in autumn and winter, sea bass all year — and ask for the price by weight before you choose a fish.

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Arnavutköy vs Ortaköy vs Bebek

Arnavutköyyou are hereWooden houses, fishQuiet, residentialThe row of housesFree1 h
OrtaköyMosque by the bridge, kumpirBusy, touristyMosque and bridgeFree1 h
BebekBay, cafés, promenadeSmart, priceyBoats in the bayFree1 h

The three villages sit one after another on the same shore. Start at Ortaköy, walk through Arnavutköy and finish with coffee in Bebek — half a day.

Istanbul waterside spots, compared

Every waterside spot in Istanbul rated by YesGo. Tap a column heading to sort.

Bosphorus ferry cruise762 hPrice: verifying8.1 km
Maiden’s Tower451 h 45 minBoat and entry: verifying6.1 km
Kadıköy452 hFree8.4 km
Galataport401 h 30 minFree6.9 km
Karaköy401 h 30 minFree7.6 km
Arnavutköyyou are here331 hFree—
Bebek321 hFree18 min walk
Beylerbeyi Palace311 h 15 min800 TL2.7 km
Rahmi M. Koç Museum302 h550 TL8.5 km
Emirgan Park281 h 15 minFree4.7 km
Princes’ Islands245 h≈ 151 TL ferry each way22.5 km
Istanbul Aquarium212 h1,000 TL23.4 km

The European Bosphorus shore in a day

A palace, the mosque under the bridge, wooden Arnavutköy, Bebek bay and Emirgan Park — one after another along the water. Add them to your route in one tap — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.

  1. Dolmabahçe Palace1 h 45 min · 2,000 TL
  2. 40 min walk from the previous stopOrtaköy Mosque40 min · Free
  3. 46 min walk from the previous stopArnavutköyyou are here1 h · Free
  4. 18 min walk from the previous stopBebek1 h · Free
  5. 64 min walk from the previous stopEmirgan Park1 h 15 min · Free

5 places · about 8 h 28 min with walks · 168 min on foot in total

Go · my route

Nearby — add to your day

Bebek

Istanbul, Turkey

1 h · Free · 18 min walk

Rumelihisarı

Istanbul, Turkey

1 h · €6 · 38 min walk

How to do it right

  • Walk north to Bebek on the water side of the road — you see both the houses and the Bosphorus.
  • On a cruise heading north, sit on the left side to get the Arnavutköy waterfront.
  • Order seasonal fish; in autumn and winter that means bluefish and bonito.
  • Skip rush hour: buses and taxis share one coast road and crawl.
  • Step off the waterfront into the lanes uphill — the prettiest wooden houses are there, and hardly anyone else.

Questions

Is Arnavutköy worth visiting?

Yes, as part of a walk along the European shore with Ortaköy and Bebek — for the wooden houses and fish restaurants. On a short trip, seeing it from a Bosphorus ferry is enough.

Is Istanbul Airport in Arnavutköy?

Yes — in Arnavutköy district in the north-west. That is a different place from Arnavutköy village on the Bosphorus, which is across the city in Beşiktaş.

How do I get to Arnavutköy?

Tram T1 to Kabataş, then bus 22 or 40T along the shore — 15–20 minutes. From Beşiktaş, the same buses. Ferries call only occasionally.

Is there a ferry to Arnavutköy?

There is a pier and Şehir Hatları ferries do call, but not often. Check the timetable first; the bus is more reliable.

What is there to do in Arnavutköy?

Walk the waterfront of wooden houses, see the Tevfikiye Mosque and Akıntıburnu point, find the Church of the Archangels inland, wander the back lanes and eat fish by the pier.

How long is the walk from Arnavutköy to Bebek?

About 25 minutes along the water, past Akıntıburnu and the Beyhan Sultan Fountain.

How much time do I need in Arnavutköy?

An hour for the waterfront and lanes; 2–3 hours with a meal and the walk to Bebek.

Arnavutköy or Ortaköy?

Ortaköy has the mosque under the bridge and a busy square; Arnavutköy is quieter, for wooden houses and seafood. They are next to each other — do both.

Is there an entrance fee?

No. It is a residential neighbourhood; the streets, waterfront, mosque and church are free.

Have you been? Was it worth your time?

1 — no, 5 — absolutely

Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.

Sources and fact-check

  • English Wikipedia: Arnavutköy (Beşiktaş neighbourhood), Beyhan Sultan (daughter of Mustafa III), Istanbul Airport; Turkish Wikipedia: Arnavutköy, Beşiktaş; Wikidata Q1095321
  • Nomadic Niko — Arnavutköy guide (Tevfikiye Mosque, Beyhan Sultan Fountain, Church of the Archangels, bus routes)
  • Turkey from the Inside: Albanian Village
  • Hopp Museum, Budapest: caption to the photograph “Arnavutköy with Tevfikiye Mosque”
  • NTV — report on the Tevfikiye Mosque and the Beyhan Sultan Fountain
  • İGA, Istanbul Airport operator — the airport’s location in Arnavutköy district
YesGo editorial team · facts checked 29.10.2026 ·
How we checkedThe neighbourhood is free to visit, so there are no official prices to check. Bus routes, journey times and walking distances are cross-checked across several guides and marked “verifying”, because İETT changes routes. Ferries are the main uncertainty: guides say anything from “hourly” to “infrequent”, one timetable site lists no active sailings, and we could not open the official Şehir Hatları timetable — so we recommend the bus. Where sources differ we say so: the Tevfikiye Mosque is dated 1832, 1832–1838 or “after 1826”, so we write “1830s”; the Church of the Archangels is called mid-19th-century by some and 1896–1899 (after the 1894 earthquake) by others, so we write “1890s”; the Albanian settlement is usually dated 1468, though one guide puts it in the 19th century. The date of the coast road and of the great fires appear in only one source each, so we leave them out. We don’t quote restaurant or transport prices — they change.

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