Sarıyer: Istanbul

Sarıyer is separated from the rest of the Bosphorus coastline as it deserves special consideration due to its geographical location and lifestyle. Entering Sarıyer from Tarabya feels like entering a totally new sphere of life. Sarıyer used to be a small, village like town with its own residents that used to live like a big and friendly family. It is among the ancient Turkish traditions to be neighbourly, brotherly and friendly with one's neighbours, and Sarıyer used to be the perfect epitome of that. One did not go into Sarıyer a lot other than to have a unique form of home cooked meal or pastry that only the folks of the Sarıyer could cook. Things have come to change however with the construction of suburban residential areas (namely, the establishment of the neighbourhool called Zekeriyaköy and its surroundings), followed by the construction of the prominent, private university (Koç University) on the hills of Sarıyer. Being a private university, the Koç University attracts many students whose families earn higher than the average, and these students arrive at the university in their own private -mostly lux- cars and bewilder the people of Sarıyer (who for years have only walked through these streets and had minded their own business). Nowadays, Sarıyer has a mixed nature of simple stores and buffets, along with rich cars and mansions and uphill residences. Further along the coast of Bosphorus are Rumeli Kavağı and Rumeli Feneri, both of which are the fishermen's haven. Sarıyer is a promontory with one of its sides facing the Bosphorus, while the other looks at the Black Sea. The coast of Black Sea is known as Kilyos. There are nice beach clubs on this coast, along with a few camping areas as well. © NileGuide