Gorgeous and peaceful Burgazada.
This Greek fishing village (formerly called Panormos during the Hellenistic era) is home to mansions and wooden villas. The rich locals, especially those belonging in the Jewish community, fell in love with the tranquility and beauty of the island that they built their summer cottages here – if “cottage” would be the right word to describe the palatial mansions in the island. The island is quite small, with only 371 acres in area. There used to be a thick pine forest in the island. However, a fire in 2003 razed most of these.
Sait Faik Abasiyanik, the famed Turkish short story writer, made his home here. Today, his house has been converted into a museum that is dedicated to celebrating his life and art. Sait Faik’s stories mostly have Burgazada and the rest of the Princes’ Islands as their location. Sait Faik lived with his mother in this house, which is a period piece. A visit to this hillside mansion is well worth it. To get in, feel free to ring the doorbell and the caretaker will come out to give you the “tour”.
The island is also home to some monasteries and churches, particularly those that are built during the Byzantine period. There is the Christos Metamorfosis Monastery, which is located in open country. This is dedicated to barren women. They make their pilgrimage here for the monastery’s sacred waters, in the hope that they will be blessed with a child. There is also the Greek Orthodox Church of St. John, which is just a stone’s throw away from the Faik Museum. The church features a chandelier and a number of gilded icons.
At the tip of the island are red cliffs that offer gorgeous views of the bay. This is called the Counterfeiter’s Stone (Kalpazankaya). It is said that forgers used this rock to stash their loot. There are two lidos (swim clubs) located in the ferry landing. Sadly, Burgazada is not much of a swimmer’s place, as there are better beaches in the other islands.
The waterfront is a busy place at nighttime, with restaurants and cafes busily serving tourists the very best seafood dishes.
To get to the island, there is a ferry you can take from Sirkeci. It leaves every hour. You can also opt to take the ferry from the Asian side, on the Botanci district. You can take your pick – older, open-air ferries that are an experience in themselves, or sleek ferries that are fast and air-conditioned.