Reading list | Greater Istanbul (Europe)

This is where the airport and main bus station for the city are situated. Western Istanbul is largely residential, with upscale housing on the coast, especially at Florya. The ancient Greek Hebdemon was near where the present Ataköy Marina lies. This was a training ground for the army, where half a dozen emperors were elected. Valens and Justinian both had palaces near the sea, and Atatürk followed suit with a summer mansion, just offshore, designed by Seyfi Arkan in 1935 and now a museum. Veliefendi, Turkey’s oldest race course, which also provides a music venue, is just inland from the Ataköy marina.