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Istanbul's Yesilkoy, Feeling The Breeze Of The Marmara Sea

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  • Istanbul's Yesilkoy, Feeling The Breeze Of The Marmara Sea

    ISTANBUL'S YESILKOY, FEELING THE BREEZE OF THE MARMARA SEA

    Today's Zaman
    Sept 7 2010
    Turkey

    Yesilkoy, part of the Bakirkoy Municipality, is situated along the
    Marmara Sea, about 15 kilometers west of Istanbul's old city.

    For most travelers to Istanbul the first encounter with Yesilkoy is
    from the air, for it is close to Ataturk Airport, which was named
    Yesilkoy Airport before its modernization in the '80s. Under this
    name it figured in the James Bond movie "From Russia with Love."

    Due to how near it is to Ataturk Airport, Yesilkoy is connected to
    aviation in many ways. It is where Turkish aviation was born. In 1912
    the first hangars, landing/takeoff strips and other facilities for
    aviation were built here. Six years later the YeÅ~_ilköy Airplane
    Center became a school for pilots of the Ottoman Air Force, the
    predecessor of the current Turkish Air Forces. Since 1951 YeÅ~_ilköy
    has been the home of the Turkish Air Forces academy. Nearby is the
    Aviation Museum, which opened its doors for the first time in 1985,
    after having been moved from Izmir. The aviation museum exhibits a
    range of historical airplanes and can be visited every day from 9
    a.m. till 4 p.m., except on Monday and Tuesday.

    Ties with aviation are also reflected in YeÅ~_ilköy's two major
    hotels.

    Popular among aviation personnel is the Polat Renaissance Hotel, which
    dominates the skyline of YeÅ~_ilköy with its 23 floors. The view from
    the upper floors is magnificent. One can even see the bridge over
    the Golden Horn in the distance. Next door to the Polat Renaissance
    Hotel is the Cınar Hotel, one of Turkey's first five star hotels.

    As is often the case in Istanbul, the history of YeÅ~_ilköy is quite
    interesting. Initially it was called Ayos Stefanos, after St. Stephen,
    one of the first Christian martyrs. According the Acts of the Apostles
    in the New Testament, St. Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob
    due to an accusation of blasphemy. His remains were at first kept in
    Jerusalem, but under Emperor Theodosius the younger, they were moved
    by sea to Constantinople. However, according to legend the ship was
    hit by a storm just before it reached the city, forcing the crew to
    go ashore at the current YeÅ~_ilköy. The bones of St. Stephen were
    temporarily kept here, giving the area its name.

    Of course the question is how much of this legend is true, but that the
    three churches in YeÅ~_ilköy are dedicated to St. Stephen is a fact.

    Every year on Dec. 27 a special ritual is held: A priest throws a
    small cross into the sea, after which it is brought back to shore by
    young men of several religions. The day before, which is dedicated
    to St. Stephen, an animal is sacrificed. This custom refers to the
    food that was given by shepherds to the crew of the ship carrying
    the remains of St. Stephen.

    In 1203, after the Fourth Crusade the Christian army disembarked in
    San Stefano, to conquer Constantinople a year later. It was quite
    a while before the village again made its mark in Turkish history;
    in the 19th century San Stefano and the adjacent Florya and Ataköy
    became the property of the powerful Armenian Dadyan family, a present
    from the sultan who was happy because of the gunpowder the Dadyans
    supplied to the Ottoman Empire.

    During the Crimean War (1853-1856), when France, Great Britain and
    the Ottoman Empire went to war against Russia, YeÅ~_ilköy became
    the base of the French army. The French military left a lighthouse
    behind, the Ayastefanos Fener, located near the Polat Renaissance
    Hotel. Nowadays it is the fish restaurant Fener, which treats its
    guests to the only lighthouse museum in Turkey.

    When the Russians tried to regain what they'd lost in the Crimean
    War during the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), their advance stopped
    at YeÅ~_ilköy, after which the Treaty of San Stefano was signed by
    Russia and the Ottoman Empire. The exact location was the beautiful
    home (still standing) of the Simeonoglu family.

    In 1909 the decision to banish Sultan Abdulhamid II to Thessaloniki
    was taken by the Committee of Union and Progress in YeÅ~_ilköy. A
    law in 1926 forced villages and cities to choose a Turkish name, so
    San Stefano was renamed YeÅ~_ilköy (green village). The new name
    emerged from the thoughts of the writer Halit Ziya UÅ~_aklıgil,
    who lived here.

    Beyond any doubt he felt inspired by the many trees in YeÅ~_ilköy. The
    park between YeÅ~_ilköy center and the marinas is named after
    UÅ~_aklıgil.

    He wasn't the only well-known Turk who lived in YeÅ~_ilköy,
    however. In the 1940s six members of the Cingas family came from
    Albania to Istanbul. They set up a popular place in YeÅ~_ilköy that
    was frequented by many writers, musicians and poets. Vangel Cingas,
    who later became know as Ancelo, read poetry here. His place became
    so popular that reservations had to be made days in advance. Later
    on the singers Ayten Alpman and Å~^ecaattin Tanyerli, as well as the
    TV announcer Ugur Dundar, lived in YeÅ~_ilköy.

    In the 19th century the population of YeÅ~_ilköy was a mixture of
    Turks, Greeks, Armenians, French and Italians. An Armenian school is
    a reminder of those days. It was a favorite sea resort for Istanbul's
    elite then, who also came to hunt. Nowadays Greeks, French, Italians
    and hunting have disappeared. But YeÅ~_ilköy is still a popular
    sea resort due to the beautiful wide beaches and many exquisite fish
    restaurants. Its cozy center is filled with bars and restaurants.

    Tourists from Holland will be surprised to find the van Gogh
    restaurant, with several reproductions of paintings by the famous
    Dutch expressionist.

    Istanbul's elite are also still present, along with many luxurious
    examples of modern architecture and magnificent 19th century wooden
    villas, which contribute to YeÅ~_ilköy being one of Istanbul's most
    splendid areas. But YeÅ~_ilköy is not only for the elite. It is a
    popular destination for many, causing it to be especially crowded
    on hot summer evenings -- if there is a chance for a cool breeze in
    Istanbul, it is in YeÅ~_ilköy.

    YeÅ~_ilköy can be reached from Eminönu by train and by bus number
    81. Or from Taksim Square by bus 72T, or dolmuÅ~_.




    From: A. Papazian
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