Kadikoy is one of the 32 districts in Istanbul, on the Asian side of the city, at the southern tip of the Bosphorus Strait opening to the Sea of Marmara. Before the foundation of Byzantium it was known as the “land of the blind” according to a legend and its ancient name was Chalcedon. Once prominent in the history of Christianity, it hosted important Ecumenical Council meetings in the 5th century.
Kadikoy is one of the fastest-growing districts in Istanbul for the last 25 years, it has areas of up-market shopping with fashionable shops, fine dining, and entertainment making it popular especially for wealthy local people. Nice promenades along the waterside, especially around the marinas and yacht clubs, add value to the district.
Baghdad Avenue is one of the most trendy shopping and dining place here, many cafeterias are full of locals and young people enjoying their life. Moda neighborhood is also famous for its restaurants and cafeterias. Kalamis and Fenerbahce neighborhoods have a nice marina and several yacht clubs, and there is a huge stadium of the Fenerbahce soccer team here as well.
Haydarpasa Train Station, built in 1906 in the Prussian architectural style, is connecting Istanbul to the east of Turkey by railways. It was the last stop of the Istanbul-Baghdad railway. Next to the station, there is the commercial harbor of the city with many cranes and silos. Selimiye army barracks in the Harem neighborhood and the Marmara high school are the most impressive buildings from the late Ottoman period, besides Haydarpasa station. During the Crimean War in the 19th century, Florence Nightingale served at Selimiye as a nurse and today her room is preserved as a museum.
