Poison. Did you know that’s what Tarabya was once called? Let’s dive into the story of this prestigious Istanbul neighborhood.
Tarabya sits on the European side of the Bosphorus. It lies between Yeniköy and Kireçburnu. This makes it a scenic escape from Istanbul’s busy life.
Long ago, the area was named Pharmakia. Pharmakia means “poison” in Ancient Greek. Tradition says Medea gave it this name. Patriarch Attikos didn’t like the poison connection. So, he changed it to Therapia. Therapia means healing.
In 1453, the Ottomans conquered Therapia. Forty Roman soldiers died during the Fall of Constantinople. The area became a Greek village by the 17th century. Later some Armenians and Muslims settled there. Over time, it became a small fishing village. Orthodox Christians mostly lived there.
Tarabya transformed when it became the center of the Terkos Metropolis in 1655. Its religious importance grew. Its closeness to Constantinople mattered. Tarabya became a key Bosphorus settlement. Greeks moved there. They liked the climate. They felt safe from diseases like cholera. Foreign embassies and merchants followed. Tarabya became a Greek elite favorite. Some Greek families held property until 1821. After the Greek War of Independence their properties were seized.
The town was mainly Greek until the mid-20th century. During the Istanbul pogrom a church and the metropolitan residence burned. Turkish-Greek relations worsened. The invasion of Cyprus caused most Greeks to leave. The Greek school shut down in 1985. Around 50 elderly Greeks remained in Tarabya.
Many historical buildings dot Tarabya. Churches hotels palaces and fountains date back to the 17th century. The Grand Tarabya Hotel stands where the Metropolitan used to live. Sümer Palas a popular hotel was demolished in the 1950s. Apartments now stand there.
The Grand Tarabya Hotel opened in 1966. It replaced the burned-down Tokatlıyan Hotel. It remains the only hotel in the neighborhood.
Two parks offer green space. Atsushi Miyazaki Park honors a Japanese earthquake volunteer. Şalcıkır Park has a children’s area and fitness equipment. The Köstenceli Hacı Osman Mosque is the main historical mosque. The Bezm-i Alem Valide Sultan fountain and the Sultan Mahmud II fountain are historical landmarks.
Several holy wells once existed here. Aya Marina and Aya Ioannis still remain. Aya Kiriaki is in Atsushi Miyazaki Park.
Luxury defines Tarabya today. Upscale villas and high-end apartments are common. Many properties offer Bosphorus views. Diplomats and wealthy buyers seek homes here. Development is controlled. This maintains the area’s natural beauty.
Tarabya’s history flows into the present. It’s a place of healing a place of beauty and a place of luxury. As you wander its streets remember its journey from Pharmakia to Tarabya a transformation etched in time.