# Arnavutköy, a Bosphorus Village in Istanbul > A former Greek fishing village on the European shore of the Bosphorus, between Ortaköy and Bebek. A row of late-19th-century wooden houses lines the water, with fish restaurants by the pier and quiet lanes climbing behind. Nothing charges entry. Give it an hour, then walk 25 minutes along the water to Bebek. Not the airport: IST is in a different Arnavutköy, far to the north-west. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/arnavutkoy - City: [Istanbul](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul), Turkey - YesGo score: 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 1 h - Opening hours: Open 24/7; come by day — the waterfront façades catch the morning and midday light - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — streets, waterfront, mosque and church - Where: European shore, Beşiktaş district, between Ortaköy and Bebek - Bus from Kabataş: No. 22 or 40T along the shore, ≈ 15–20 min - Bus from Beşiktaş: No. 22, 22RE, 40, 40T, ≈ 12–15 min - Ferry: Şehir Hatları commuter ferries call only occasionally — check the timetable - Metro: None nearby; the M2 stations are up the hill — take the bus - To Bebek: ≈ 25 min walk along the water - Paying: Istanbulkart - Map pin: Arnavutköy ferry pier (Arnavutköy İskelesi) - Coordinates: 41.06704, 29.04414 - Facts checked: 29.10.2026 ## Key facts - **Mega Revma** — “Great Current” — the Byzantine name, after the fierce Bosphorus current off the point (source: English Wikipedia; Nomadic Niko Arnavutköy guide) - **1468** — Mehmed II settled Albanians here, hence Arnavutköy — “Albanian village” (source: English Wikipedia; Nomadic Niko (one guide dates the settlement to the 19th century)) - **Akıntıburnu** — the “Cape of the Current”, where small boats once had to be towed round on ropes (source: English Wikipedia; Turkey from the Inside) - **1830s** — Mahmud II built the Tevfikiye Mosque by the cape in honour of his son, Prince Tevfik (source: Nomadic Niko; Hopp Museum, Budapest, photo caption; NTV) - **1804** — Beyhan Sultan, daughter of Mustafa III, built the Baroque fountain on the bend towards Bebek (source: Nomadic Niko; English Wikipedia: Beyhan Sultan (daughter of Mustafa III)) - **1890s** — the Greek Orthodox Church of the Archangels (Taksiarhis) was rebuilt after the 1894 earthquake (source: Nomadic Niko; Turkey from the Inside) - **Greek village** — Greeks were the majority until the early 20th century; the waterfront houses date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries (source: English Wikipedia (1912 Ottoman yearbook); Nomadic Niko) - **Strawberries** — Arnavutköy was famous for its strawberries; a few fields survive inland (source: English Wikipedia; Turkish Wikipedia) - **Beşiktaş** — the village is a quarter of Beşiktaş district, between Kuruçeşme and Bebek (source: Turkish Wikipedia; Wikidata Q1095321) - **IST** — Istanbul Airport is in a different Arnavutköy — a separate district in the city’s north-west (source: English Wikipedia: Istanbul Airport; airport 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](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/bosphorus-ferry) passes right along the waterfront, and the houses look best from the water anyway. Pair it with [Ortaköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/ortakoy-mosque) and [Bebek](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/bebek) instead. > **Arnavutköy is not the airport** Istanbul Airport (IST) sits in **Arnavutköy district**, out by the Black Sea in the north-west. This page is about **Arnavutköy village on the Bosphorus**, in Beşiktaş. If you are looking for an airport hotel, you want the district; the wooden houses are an hour or more across the city. ## How to get to Arnavutköy from Sultanahmet 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](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/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. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Istanbulkart topped up for the tram and bus - [ ] Avoiding rush hour on the coast road - [ ] Comfortable shoes for the hilly back lanes - [ ] Planning lunch or dinner by the water - [ ] Checked the ferry timetable if arriving by boat - [ ] Walking on to Bebek — 25 minutes along the water ## Arnavutköy vs Ortaköy vs Bebek | | Arnavutköy | Ortaköy | Bebek | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Best for | Wooden houses, fish | Mosque by the bridge, kumpir | Bay, cafés, promenade | | Vibe | Quiet, residential | Busy, touristy | Smart, pricey | | Photo | The row of houses | Mosque and bridge | Boats in the bay | | Entry | Free | Free | Free | | Time needed | 1 h | 1 h | 1 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. - [Bosphorus ferry cruise](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/bosphorus-ferry) — YesGo score 76/100 (Yes, go) · 2 h · Price: verifying - [Maiden’s Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/maidens-tower) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · Boat and entry: verifying - [Kadıköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/kadikoy) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free - [Galataport](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/galataport) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Karaköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/karakoy) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Free - [Arnavutköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/arnavutkoy) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Bebek](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/bebek) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free - [Beylerbeyi Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/beylerbeyi-palace) — YesGo score 31/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · 800 TL - [Rahmi M. Koç Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/rahmi-koc-museum) — YesGo score 30/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 550 TL - [Emirgan Park](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/emirgan-park) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free - [Princes’ Islands](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/princes-islands) — YesGo score 24/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 5 h · ≈ 151 TL ferry each way - [Istanbul Aquarium](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/istanbul-aquarium) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · 1,000 TL ## 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. 1. [Dolmabahçe Palace](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/dolmabahce-palace) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 45 min · 2,000 TL 2. [Ortaköy Mosque](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/ortakoy-mosque) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 40 min · Free 3. [Arnavutköy](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/arnavutkoy) — YesGo score 33/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 4. [Bebek](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/bebek) — YesGo score 32/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · Free 5. [Emirgan Park](https://yesgo.io/turkey/istanbul/emirgan-park) — YesGo score 28/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Free ## Good to know Istanbul has two Arnavutköys. **Arnavutköy village**, this page, is a quarter of Beşiktaş on the Bosphorus. **Arnavutköy district** is a separate municipality in the north-west, home to Istanbul Airport (IST). YesGo pins the village at its ferry pier. ## Tips - 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. ## How we checked The 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. ## Sources - 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 --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.