Kadikoy and Moda

When Istanbul locals have a friend who has already done the mosques, they often send them to Kadikoy. The district lies on the Asian side, 20 to 25 minutes by ferry from Eminonu or Karakoy. It has the city's best everyday food market, streets full of cafés and bars, second-hand bookshops and a young population. Just to the south, Moda covers a headland with a park along the sea, tea gardens and older apartment buildings. You pay only for what you eat.

Quick facts

History in brief

Kadikoy occupies the site of ancient Chalcedon, which Greek settlers founded in the 7th century BC, some decades before Byzantium was set up across the water. According to an old tale, the founders of Byzantium said the Chalcedonians must have been blind to pick the poorer location. The Council of Chalcedon, one of the major church councils, was held here in 451 AD.

During the late Ottoman era, Levantine, Greek, Armenian and Turkish families favoured Kadikoy and Moda as suburbs, and a number of their mansions and apartment houses survive. On Bahariye Caddesi, the Sureyya Opera House opened in 1927 as the Asian side's first purpose-built theatre. These days the area is famous for independent culture: music bars, small stages, bookshops and Fenerbahce, one of Istanbul's two big football clubs, whose ground is a short walk away.

What to see and do

• Market streets. Gunesli Bahce Sokak and the lanes behind the ferry pier, with fish stalls, pickle shops, counters of olives and cheese, spice merchants and traditional delis.
• Nostalgic tram. A red and cream tram makes a one-way loop from close to the pier through Bahariye and Moda. It is cheap and unhurried, and a nice way to take in the district.
• Bahariye Caddesi. The main shopping street, home to the opera house and, at the Altiyol junction, the bull statue where locals arrange to meet.
• Moda seafront. A long waterside park with benches and tea gardens, looking over to the Old City and the Princes' Islands. Watching the sunset here is a local habit.
• Kadife Sokak. Nicknamed bar street, lively from early evening.

Where to eat

In Kadikoy it is best to snack your way around. Have a fish sandwich or grilled fish close to the market, meze and small plates in the back streets, and Turkish sweets in the old patisseries. Esnaf lokantasi, the tradesmen's lunch counters, offer cheap home-style stews and vegetable dishes. For a proper dinner, meyhane taverns serve meze and raki until late.

When to go

Arrive in the late afternoon: stroll the market, ride the tram to Moda, catch sunset on the seafront and stay on for dinner. On weekends the market streets get packed during the day. Weekday mornings show the market at its most genuine, with residents doing their daily shopping.

Our Istanbul Night Food Tour with Traditional Meyhane Experience goes from Karakoy over to Kadikoy and Moda for street food, meze and raki. It lasts about four hours and starts from US$81 per person, with food and drinks paid for on the spot.

Practical tips

• Use the ferry in both directions. The crossing itself is a highlight, with Topkapi Palace and the Maiden's Tower in view.
• Keep credit on an Istanbulkart for the ferry, bus and tram.
• Many market shops will let you try before buying; just ask.
• On football match nights, the streets leading to the stadium become very crowded.

Our Istanbul destination page covers more sights on both sides of the water.

Frequently Asked Questions