Eminönü
Encyclopedia
Eminönü is a former district of Istanbul
in Turkey
, now a neighbourhood of Fatih
district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine
, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn
into Eminönü and the mouth of the Bosphorus opens into the Marmara Sea. And up on the hill stands Topkapı Palace
, the Blue Mosque
(Sultanahmet Camii) and Hagia Sophia
(Aya Sofya). Thus Eminönü is the main tourist destination in Istanbul. It was a part of the Fatih
district until 1928, which covered the whole peninsular area of old Istanbul within the medieval city walls - that area which was formerly the Byzantine capital Constantinople
. Since the resident population of Eminönü is low today, it rejoined the Fatih district in 2009.
The Golden Horn was a natural port, particularly the Eminönü/Sirkeci shore, which being on a peninsula was also eminently defensible. It was this location that led to the foundation of Byzantium
, and from here that the city grew, with the oldest neighbourhoods being the port districts along the Golden Horn. In the 12th century, the Byzantine
port was also occupied by merchants from Venice
, Amalfi
, Genoa
and Pisa
, who eventually acquired their own wharfs and waterfront districts.
In the Byzantine period, the modern area of Eminönü included the districts of Neórion (after the war harbor located there), Akrópolis, Kynégion, Arcadianae/Arkadianaí, ta Hormísdou, Amantíou, Caenopolis/Kainópolis ("New City"), ta Kanikleíou
, ta Narsoú, ta Kaisaríou, Artopoleía (the "bakeries"), Argyroprateía (the "silver vendors"), Chalkoprateía (the "bronze vendors"), ta Olybríou, Constantinianae/Konstantinianaí, ta Amastrianón, Eugeníou, Pérama ("Crossing", the place where the ferry to Galata
sailed), Zeúgma, Stauríon, Vlánga, Heptáskalon.
The Golden Horn was still a thriving port in Ottoman times
, occupied by importers, warehousemen, sailors and traders of every description, the centre of trade in the city, a labyrinth of narrow streets, workshops and markets leading uphill to Topkapı Palace
, the Ottoman capital.
The name of the neighbourhood, Eminönü, reflects its place in history. Translated from Turkish to English it roughly means 'in front of justice'. Emin meaning 'justice', önü meaning 'in front of'. The name most probably came from the Ottoman courts and customs houses on the docks; "Emin" was the title of an Ottoman customs official
.
The nature of the place was changed by the industrial age; the Galata Bridge
was built across the Golden Horn; steamships arrived, then electricity, then the railway and the Istanbul terminal of the Orient Express
was naturally sited at Sirkeci Station. The sea walls still surrounded the city, and the sea gates of the port of Eminönü were the point of entry for goods, and for people. Eminönü was a part of the Fatih
district until 1928. She became district of İstanbul in 1928.
In the wake of the huge railway station, other grand stone buildings were also built in the late Ottoman period. Among these were some commercial buildings and the central post office. In the early days of the Republic of Turkey, Eminönü was renovated extensively; the big square was opened up in front of Yeni Cami
by clearing out the tollbooths at the end of the Galata Bridge; the Spice bazaar was restored; the fish market was cleared off the shore of the Golden Horn and a road opened up to the new bridge at Unkapanı.
By the 1950s, the area was continuously clogged up with traffic, which was eased somewhat by the construction of the large coastal road around the point and all the way out to Istanbul airport
.
(Trakya) and Europe
). People keep streaming into the area on boats, buses, trains and the light metro from Aksaray.
During the daytime the area is packed with merchants and their customers, hordes of shoppers and many tourists. Add to this a number of key government buildings including the governor's office and the main campus of Istanbul University in Beyazıt.
At night it is a quiet place. There is some housing in Eminönü but most of the buildings are offices, shops and workshops, and if one does happen to be there in the evening the contrast with the daytime is eerie and somewhat menacing. Every day roughly two million people work in or pass through Eminönü, but the district has only 30,000 residents. The people that do live in Eminönü are mainly working class and conservative.
s and buildings, many of Istanbul's best-known landmarks. Recent development has improved Eminönü greatly and many of its winding streets which can at first seem imposing, have been developed and improved, while Eminönü has started to repair the many mosques.
The area is heaving with shoppers; especially at weekends people come from all over the city, looking for discount clothing or plastic accessories, stationery and cheap toys in the streets behind the Spice Bazaar. You will not find the classy boutiques of the big shopping centres here. The clientele in Eminönü is traditional and working class. The narrow climbing street called Mahmutpaşa for example is the place where those of a conservative nature come to buy a coat or a headscarf, or to kit their boys out in the costume they wear on circumcision
day.
Eminönü is crawling with thousands of people hawking goods on handcarts, makeshift stalls or a blanket laid out in the street, as well as the millions of little shops and workshops in the streets, bazaars and the big stone fortresses from the Ottoman era called Han in Turkish. Every inch is retail space, even the underpasses taking people from the ferries are lined with shops, kebab grillers and boys selling cigarettes. Predictably there is a fair amount of purse-snatching and pickpocketing in the crowds. And the narrow streets are hard to keep clean.
There are so many businesses packed into such a small area that a single street or even a single building can be the centre of a particular trade, and turning a corner will take you into a totally different atmosphere. Here you are surrounded by stall after stall of denim jeans, and across one block you are submerged in the scent of coffee and spices. The variety is breathtaking and Eminönü takes some exploring.
Some well known sub-districts (semt) include:
In the daytime the choice of food is incredible, and in particular the area is covered with 'lokanta' serving soups, stews and hot vegetable dishes at lunchtime. You will find these in all the bazaars and shopping streets, for example the street called Hocapaşa near Sirkeci station has a great variety. Eminönü offers any number of fast foods and snacks including döner, lahmacun
and the grilled mackerel sandwiches on the waterfront by the ferry docks. These used to be sold from boats, this is now banned but you can still find mackerel grillers in the area.
Much of the neighbourhood is closed down in the evening although you will still find food in the following places:
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, now a neighbourhood of Fatih
Fatih
Fatih is a municipality and district in Istanbul, Turkey that encompasses most of the peninsula coinciding with historic Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, formerly a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was merged into Fatih...
district. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers the point on which the Byzantine capital was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of...
into Eminönü and the mouth of the Bosphorus opens into the Marmara Sea. And up on the hill stands Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
, the Blue Mosque
Sultan Ahmed Mosque
The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire . The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior....
(Sultanahmet Camii) and Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia
Hagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
(Aya Sofya). Thus Eminönü is the main tourist destination in Istanbul. It was a part of the Fatih
Fatih
Fatih is a municipality and district in Istanbul, Turkey that encompasses most of the peninsula coinciding with historic Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, formerly a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was merged into Fatih...
district until 1928, which covered the whole peninsular area of old Istanbul within the medieval city walls - that area which was formerly the Byzantine capital Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. Since the resident population of Eminönü is low today, it rejoined the Fatih district in 2009.
History
Byzantium
Byzantium was an ancient Greek city, founded by Greek colonists from Megara in 667 BC and named after their king Byzas . The name Byzantium is a Latinization of the original name Byzantion...
, and from here that the city grew, with the oldest neighbourhoods being the port districts along the Golden Horn. In the 12th century, the Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
port was also occupied by merchants from Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, Amalfi
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
, Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
and Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, who eventually acquired their own wharfs and waterfront districts.
In the Byzantine period, the modern area of Eminönü included the districts of Neórion (after the war harbor located there), Akrópolis, Kynégion, Arcadianae/Arkadianaí, ta Hormísdou, Amantíou, Caenopolis/Kainópolis ("New City"), ta Kanikleíou
Kanikleios
The kanikleios , more formally chartoularios tou kanikleiou or epi tou kanikleiou was one of the most senior offices in the Byzantine imperial chancery. Its holder was the keeper of the imperial inkstand, the kanikleion, which was shaped as a little dog and contained the scarlet ink with which...
, ta Narsoú, ta Kaisaríou, Artopoleía (the "bakeries"), Argyroprateía (the "silver vendors"), Chalkoprateía (the "bronze vendors"), ta Olybríou, Constantinianae/Konstantinianaí, ta Amastrianón, Eugeníou, Pérama ("Crossing", the place where the ferry to Galata
Galata
Galata or Galatae is a neighbourhood in the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. Galata is located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the inlet which separates it from the historic peninsula of old Constantinople. The Golden Horn is crossed by...
sailed), Zeúgma, Stauríon, Vlánga, Heptáskalon.
The Golden Horn was still a thriving port in Ottoman times
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, occupied by importers, warehousemen, sailors and traders of every description, the centre of trade in the city, a labyrinth of narrow streets, workshops and markets leading uphill to Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace
The Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
, the Ottoman capital.
The name of the neighbourhood, Eminönü, reflects its place in history. Translated from Turkish to English it roughly means 'in front of justice'. Emin meaning 'justice', önü meaning 'in front of'. The name most probably came from the Ottoman courts and customs houses on the docks; "Emin" was the title of an Ottoman customs official
Emin (Ottoman official)
An emin was an officer in the Ottoman empire; a "steward", the holder of an eminet, and often responsible for customs duties. Unlike a timar holder, an emin was a salaried official...
.
The nature of the place was changed by the industrial age; the Galata Bridge
Galata Bridge
The Galata Bridge is a bridge that spans the Golden Horn in Istanbul, Turkey. From the end of the 19th century in particular, the bridge has featured in Turkish literature, theater, poetry and novels.-History:...
was built across the Golden Horn; steamships arrived, then electricity, then the railway and the Istanbul terminal of the Orient Express
Orient Express
The Orient Express is the name of a long-distance passenger train service originally operated by the Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits. It ran from 1883 to 2009 and is not to be confused with the Venice-Simplon Orient Express train service, which continues to run.The route and rolling stock...
was naturally sited at Sirkeci Station. The sea walls still surrounded the city, and the sea gates of the port of Eminönü were the point of entry for goods, and for people. Eminönü was a part of the Fatih
Fatih
Fatih is a municipality and district in Istanbul, Turkey that encompasses most of the peninsula coinciding with historic Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, formerly a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was merged into Fatih...
district until 1928. She became district of İstanbul in 1928.
In the wake of the huge railway station, other grand stone buildings were also built in the late Ottoman period. Among these were some commercial buildings and the central post office. In the early days of the Republic of Turkey, Eminönü was renovated extensively; the big square was opened up in front of Yeni Cami
Yeni Mosque
The Yeni Camii, The New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.-History:The construction of...
by clearing out the tollbooths at the end of the Galata Bridge; the Spice bazaar was restored; the fish market was cleared off the shore of the Golden Horn and a road opened up to the new bridge at Unkapanı.
By the 1950s, the area was continuously clogged up with traffic, which was eased somewhat by the construction of the large coastal road around the point and all the way out to Istanbul airport
Atatürk International Airport
Atatürk International Airport is the major international airport in Istanbul, Turkey. Opened in 1924 and located in Yeşilköy, on the European side of the city, it is west of the city centre. In 1980, the airport was renamed to Atatürk International Airport in honor of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the...
.
Eminönü today
Although the government has moved to Ankara and Istanbul has expanded to become an enormous city with the centre of business in huge shiny buildings elsewhere, Eminönü is still buzzing with activity. It has the busiest ferry crossings for the Bosphorus and for the Marmara Sea, the only car ferry across the Bosphorus and the only mainline railway terminus (where trains can be caught to Eastern ThraceThrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
(Trakya) and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
). People keep streaming into the area on boats, buses, trains and the light metro from Aksaray.
During the daytime the area is packed with merchants and their customers, hordes of shoppers and many tourists. Add to this a number of key government buildings including the governor's office and the main campus of Istanbul University in Beyazıt.
At night it is a quiet place. There is some housing in Eminönü but most of the buildings are offices, shops and workshops, and if one does happen to be there in the evening the contrast with the daytime is eerie and somewhat menacing. Every day roughly two million people work in or pass through Eminönü, but the district has only 30,000 residents. The people that do live in Eminönü are mainly working class and conservative.
Things to see
Eminönü has many historical mosqueMosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
s and buildings, many of Istanbul's best-known landmarks. Recent development has improved Eminönü greatly and many of its winding streets which can at first seem imposing, have been developed and improved, while Eminönü has started to repair the many mosques.
- Sultanahmet - which contains Topkapı PalaceTopkapi PalaceThe Topkapı Palace is a large palace in Istanbul, Turkey, that was the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for approximately 400 years of their 624-year reign....
, Aya SofiaHagia SophiaHagia Sophia is a former Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque, and now a museum in Istanbul, Turkey...
, the Blue MosqueSultan Ahmed MosqueThe Sultan Ahmed Mosque is a historical mosque in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey and the capital of the Ottoman Empire . The mosque is popularly known as the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interior....
and Aya Irini among about a thousand other incredible pieces of architecture; - SüleymaniyeSuleiman MosqueThe Süleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. It is the second largest mosque in the city, and one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.-History:...
- the huge mosque complex of Suleyman the Magnificent; - Yeni CamiYeni MosqueThe Yeni Camii, The New Mosque or Mosque of the Valide Sultan is an Ottoman imperial mosque located in the Eminönü district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the Golden Horn at the southern end of the Galata Bridge. It is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul.-History:The construction of...
(The new mosque) - the mosque that dominates the waterfront by the Galata Bridge; there is a wide open space in front where people feed the pigeons. - The Grand BazaarGrand Bazaar, IstanbulThe Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily.- History :...
- as much to look at as to shop in. - The Spice Bazaar - another Ottoman caravanserai, not as huge as the Grand Bazaar but right on the water, next to Yeni Camii;
- Sokollu Mehmet Pasha MosqueSokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque-External links:*, at "Respect to Sinan" *...
- in Kadirga District (the Byzantine Sophianòn Limin in GreekGreek languageGreek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
).
Shopping in Eminönü
Circumcision
Male circumcision is the surgical removal of some or all of the foreskin from the penis. The word "circumcision" comes from Latin and ....
day.
Eminönü is crawling with thousands of people hawking goods on handcarts, makeshift stalls or a blanket laid out in the street, as well as the millions of little shops and workshops in the streets, bazaars and the big stone fortresses from the Ottoman era called Han in Turkish. Every inch is retail space, even the underpasses taking people from the ferries are lined with shops, kebab grillers and boys selling cigarettes. Predictably there is a fair amount of purse-snatching and pickpocketing in the crowds. And the narrow streets are hard to keep clean.
There are so many businesses packed into such a small area that a single street or even a single building can be the centre of a particular trade, and turning a corner will take you into a totally different atmosphere. Here you are surrounded by stall after stall of denim jeans, and across one block you are submerged in the scent of coffee and spices. The variety is breathtaking and Eminönü takes some exploring.
Some well known sub-districts (semt) include:
- SirkeciSirkeciSirkeci is an area in the Eminönü neighborhood of the Fatih district of the city of Istanbul, Turkey. It has evolved as the place name of the area in Eminönü surrounding Sirkeci Station, the Southeastern long distance passenger train terminus in Europe for the Orient Express.The neighborhood...
- the waterfront by the railway station where all the ferries dock. The streets behind the docks are the places to buy electronic goods, photographic equipment, bicycles, and all kinds of stationery. All of things in their real or fake versions. - Sultanhamam behind the spice bazaar, the area of toys, beads and plastic jewelry that takes you up to the previously mentioned Mahmutpaşa.
- Tahtakale along the Golden Horn from the Spice Bazaar, come here for all kinds of kitchen equipment, garden tools, and electricals such as telephones. If your car radio is stolen come to Tahtakale and buy it back again!!
- Cağaloğlu -Istanbul's Fleet StreetFleet StreetFleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
- a maze of printers, booksellers and traditionally newspapers; - Divan Yolu, the relatively calm, tree-lined, tram-way avenue from Sultanahmet to the university, including the Roman column called Çemberlitaş.
- Beyazıt -the home of Istanbul UniversityIstanbul UniversityIstanbul University is a Turkish university located in Istanbul. The main campus is adjacent to Beyazıt Square.- Synopsis :A madrasa, a religious school, was established sometime in the 15th century after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople. An institution of higher education named the...
and the far end of the Grand BazaarGrand Bazaar, IstanbulThe Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily.- History :...
; - Grand BazaarGrand Bazaar, IstanbulThe Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is one of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with more than 58 covered streets and over 4,000 shops which attract between 250,000 and half a million visitors daily.- History :...
- In the bazaar itself you will find gold, jewelry, carpets, antiques, and souvenirs. In the streets around you will more of the same plus all kind of clothing and leather goods. - Mercan - below the bazaar, the place to buy any kind of bag or briefcase,
- Lâleli - buzzing with hotels, bars and people from former Soviet Republics buying discount clothing;
- KumkapıKumkapiKumkapı is part of the Fatih district of Istanbul. It is located along the Marmara Sea. Up to recent times, Kumkapı was mostly inhabited by Armenians, who still have a community school and several churches there. It is also the seat of the Armenian Patriarchate of Constantinople...
- the fish market, and restaurants about as numerous as the fish themselves.
Eating in Eminönü
Lahmacun
Lahmacun or lahmajoun , from , , "meat with dough", is an item of prepared food originating in the early Syrian cuisine of the Levant, consisting of a round, thin piece of dough topped with minced meat...
and the grilled mackerel sandwiches on the waterfront by the ferry docks. These used to be sold from boats, this is now banned but you can still find mackerel grillers in the area.
- In Sirkeci, across the road from the railway station, Konyali is one of Istanbul's oldest eateries, well-known for its pastries.
- Behind the Spice Bazaar is Haci Muhittin, one of the oldest sweet-makers, famous for Turkish Delight and many other traditional sweets from Ottoman times, even drinks made of tamarind.
- The köfteKoftaKofta is a Middle Eastern and South Asian meatball or meatloaf.In the simplest form, koftas consist of balls of minced or ground meat—usually beef or lamb—mixed with spices and/or onions...
restaurants of Sultanahmet are famous throughout Istanbul.
Much of the neighbourhood is closed down in the evening although you will still find food in the following places:
- up in Sultanahmet, where there are so many hotel guests;
- in the fish restaurants of Kumkapi;
- and in one or two other well-known spots such as Hamdi Restaurant near Yeni Cami or the Balikci Sabahattin fish restaurant in Cankurtaran.