route

Travelling around Istanbul has a different beauty each season, but it is a different beauty especially in April; because of tulip festivals, and then Emirgan Grove, which gilds the lily of tulip time, comes to our minds. So let’s draw a travel route for Arnavutköy-Bebek-Emirgan together.

First of all, we are in Arnavutköy. The historical mansions, right across the pier, have undoubtedly become one of the symbols of Istanbul with their pastel tones and unique architecture. You can go to the back streets of the mansions and experience the historical texture of Arnavutköy, take photos of the wooden architecture, or proceed by sketching the streets. You can take a little break in the boutique cafes that you encounter as you go on. Beach scenery from Arnavutköy © Damla Karabay

And then, returning to the coastal road and renting a bicycle from the smart bike rental systems located here and moving towards Bebek can be a fun alternative.

When we move towards Bebek, we first meet with a magnificent building that was formerly Valide Pasha Mansion and now the Consulate General of Egypt. This building in art nouveau style was designed by Raimondo D’aranco, an architect whose name we often hear from the history of architecture. You can choose Bebek Park as your next stop. Do not forget to visit Bebek Hümayun-u Abad Mosque, whose architectural value is high and whose architect is Kemaleddin Bey.

Consulate General of Egypt (Valide Pasha Mansion) © Damla Karabay

Before coming to Emirgan, you can go to Baltalimanı Japanese Garden on the road. When you come to Emirgan, Sakıp Sabancı Museum is one of the places you should visit. The main building of the museum, the villa was built by Italian architect Edoardo De Nari and was used as a summer residence for many years. In this building, which was later converted into a museum, there are temporary exhibitions and permanent works. You should definitely follow the exhibitions of this museum, which includes the works of many world famous artists from Pablo Picasso’s works to Ai Weiwei. Our last stop is Emirgan Grove, which welcomes us with colorful tulips. While enjoying the tulips in the grove, don’t forget to visit the historical buildings, pink and white mansion. Our next stop is in Bebek, the Aşiyan Museum, which was the home of Tevfik Fikret at the time and was drawn by himself. You can find works about Abdülhak Hamit and Poet Nigar Hanım in the museum. After moving towards Rumelihisarı, our other stop is Borusan Contemporary Modern Art Museum, which is open only to visitors on the weekend, formerly haunted mansion or Yusuf Ziya Mansion. The mansion is one of the symbols of Istanbul with its original architecture. You should definitely visit the haunted mansion, which is open to visitors in the weekends, and enjoy the view of the Bosphorus on its terrace where it is exhibited in its works.

Bebek Hümayun-u Abad Mosque © Damla Karabay