This Bosphorus suburb has an interesting ethnic history in which church, synagogue, and mosque coexist peacefully in its narrow streets.Today it is a trendy gathering place for the young and hip,with art  galleries,chic cafe – bars, and boutiques selling antiques. On warm Saturdays and Sundays artisans display their wares in the narrow streets in an impromptu arts-and-crafts show. At the water's edge by the ornate mosque called the Ortakoy Camii. The Etz Ahayim Synagogue, has been here since 1660 though the current building dates from 1941, when the old one was destroyed by a disastrous fire.

Both shores of the Bosphorus have their Ottoman palaces. Every emperor needs some little place to get away to and 30-rooms Beylerbeyi palace was the place for Abdul Aziz (1861-76). Mahmut II had built a wooden palace here,but like so many other wooden palaces it burned down. Abdul Aziz a spent lot of time here, as did other monarchsand royal guests, for this was, in effects, the sultan's guest quarters. The palace's last imperial guest was none other than the former sultan, Abdul Hamit II, who was brought here to spend the remainder of his life (from 1913 to 1918)

Here at the narrowest part of  the Bosphorus. Mehmet the Conqueror had this fortress built in a mere four mounths during 1452, in preparation for his planned siege of Byzantine Constantinople, Mehmet the Conqueror ordered each of his three viziers to take responsibility for one of the three main towers. Once completed,Rumeli Hisari, in concert with Anadolu Hisari on the Asian shore just opposite,controlled all trafic on the Bosphorus,and cut the city off from resupply by sea from the north.

Perched above the village are the ruins of Anadolu Kavagi a medieval castle with seven massive towers in its walls. First built by the Byzantines, it was restored and reinforced by the Genoese in 1350,and later by the Ottomans. As the straits are narrow here, it was a good choice for a defensive site to control traffic. Two more fortresses, put up by Sultan Murat IV,are north of here.Exposing a panoramic view of Istanbul, Bosphorus and Black sea from the best point of view.

Poyrazkoy is one of the villages nearest to the Black Sea and is located on the Anatolian side of the Istanbul. From the minaret a bridge leads out to the gun emplacements and ammunition stores and a great view. Although the village is located on top of a hill, there is a road leading to the beach just before the village. Poyrazkoy is an excellent place for a break or for shelter while sailing from Istanbul to the Black Sea.