Sarıyer


Sarıyer is the northernmost district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of the city. The Sarıyer district is a huge area consisting of the villages on the European side of the Bosphorus from Rumelifeneri, down through Tarabya, Yeniköy, İstinye, Emirgan to Rumelihisarı. Sarıyer also administers the Black Sea coast to the west of the mouth of the Bosphorus including the village of Kilyos. Its neighbours are Eyüp to the northwest, Beşiktaş to the south and Kağıthane to the west. Sarıyer has a population of approximately 260,000. The mayor is Şükrü Genç. Some parts of Beyoğlu and Çatalca were joined and Sarıyer became district centre in 1930. The district boundaries shrunk after the county of Kemerburgaz was given to the Eyüp district in 1936 and villages of Maslak and Ayazağa were given to Şişli district in 1954. Sarıyer has present boundaries after joining boroughs of Maslak, Ayazağa and Huzur from Şişli district in 2012.

The North Bosphorus

Sarıyer's Bosphorus villages, backed by steep hills, were once rural fishing communities. They later became retreats for the city's wealthy. In the Ottoman period the sultans came to these villages for picnics and excursions. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the coast was lined with summer residences of the wealthy foreign traders of Pera and Galata. Many foreign embassies built summer residences in this period. Since the construction of the coast road, these villages, and increasingly the hillsides behind them, house many expensive villas owned by İstanbul's rich businessmen, actors and musicians, attracted by the coastline and the lush forest behind.
Sarıyer has recently been supplied with natural gas. Significant parts of the district have also seen the installation of a new drainage system, particularly in the village of Sarıyer itself and along the coast road. These projects have led to chronic road construction and its attendant traffic. Sarıyer itself has particularly heavy traffic.
The coast road running through Sarıyer is lined with fish restaurants of all kinds, many of which were formerly housed in boats moored by the sea wall. This coast is so popular with day-trippers and Sunday drivers that at weekends the pleasure of a drive along Sarıyer's is mitigated by the crawling queues of traffic.
In addition to the coast road, Sarıyer is connected to the downtown historic and financial centers by Buyukdere Road, the main road from Beşiktaş up to Maslak and beyond; this is the route used by minibuses serving Sarıyer-Beşiktaş. There is also high-speed ferry boat service for commuting to the city. However, as a drive through Sarıyer during commute times and rush hour will attest, many people commute by car.
The Bosphorus communities of Sarıyer include :
The Belgrad Forest, at one time the Ottoman military would come on exercises. Today it is popular for picnics at the weekend, and the road to Kilyos passes through here. The woods are home to Istanbul University's department of forestry, and are accessible by public transport. There have always been rural communities here but since the 1990s, luxury housing and private schools have been built in parts of the forest. The largest of these developments is the new village of Zekeriyaköy, which is now one of the most expensive residential areas in Istanbul. The campus of the prestigious, private Koç University is also located in the forest. The growth of these areas may have, along with construction and poorly conceived traffic flow planning, contributed to the heavy traffic in the village of Sarıyer.

Kilyos and the Black Sea

is a small town, a pleasant retreat from the city, although it is often windswept in winter. Indeed, the Black Sea can produce dramatic storms even in the summer. Some Istanbul residents swim in the sea at Kilyos, although the rocky coast and strong currents, including, in places, a dangerous undertow, may make swimming here risky. The road to Kilyos leads through the Belgrad Forest with its system of viaducts and reservoirs going back to the Ottoman period, although it is also accessible through the village of Sarıyer, leading to serious traffic delays during summer months. There are lovely cool spots to stop in the forest or go for a country walk, and the hilltops have marvellous views of the Bosphorus and the Black Sea. For many years this area has been a popular spot for picnics. In recent years Kilyos has acquired a number of bars and cafes, including a couple of well-known private beach clubs and a rock festival in summer. There are still beaches though and plenty of spots for a picnic, so on Sundays long queues of cars snake through the forest honking their horns at each other.

Places of interest

The football club Sarıyer S.K. was the winner of 1992 Balkans Cup winner. They play in the TFF Second League.
The women's football club Kireçburnu Spor play in the Turkish Women's First Football League.
Women's volleyball yeam of Sarıyer Belediyespor compete in the Turkish Women's Volleyball League.
Çayırbaşı Stadiım is home to the football clubs in Sarıyer.

Villages of Sarıyer

The villages of Sarıyer district include Rumelikavağı, Garipçe, Rumelifeneri, Demirciköy, Zekeriyaköy, Bahçeköy, Kilyos, Uskumruköy, Gümüşdere, and Kısırkaya.

Education

Primary and secondary schools:
Universities:
Sarıyer is twinned with: