The Bosphorus · The Bosphorus
The yalı: Bosphorus waterside mansions, the back story
The back story
About The yalı: Bosphorus waterside mansions, the back story
A yalı is a waterside mansion on the Bosphorus, traditionally built of wood, with its rooms opening straight onto the water. For three centuries Ottoman families spent their summers in them; today the survivors are some of the most valuable houses in the world.
Living on the water
From the late 17th century, leading Ottoman families built summer mansions along the Bosphorus, with boathouses below, reception rooms projecting over the water, and gardens climbing the hill behind. Painted in ochre, pink or the deep red known as yalı red, they gave the strait its character.
The oldest
The Amcazade Hüseyin Paşa Yalı at Anadoluhisarı, built in 1699, is the oldest surviving, its reception room still jutting over the water. Many others burned or were rebuilt, but restored yalıs still line Kandilli, Vaniköy, Yeniköy and Kanlıca.
You see the yalıs best from the water: take the ferry or a cruise along both shores.
Seeing them
Most yalıs are private homes. Take a Bosphorus ferry or cruise and sit on the side facing the shore; a few, such as the Sakıp Sabancı Museum’s mansion in Emirgan, are open to visitors.
Our advice: take the long Bosphorus ferry and watch the Asian shore on the way up and the European shore on the way back, when the late light falls on the yalıs.
Why it's on our list
- Wooden mansions
- The oldest from 1699
- Best seen by boat
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The yalı: Bosphorus waterside mansions, the back story before you go.