ORTAKÖY · TRANSPORT & VISITOR GUIDE
How to get to Ortaköy.
How to reach Ortaköy by bus, tram or ferry and what to see once you’re there: line numbers, where to get off and a half-day route. For a break at the end of it, ORA Coffee is about 300 metres from Ortaköy Mosque.
What to see in Ortaköy
Ortaköy’s landmark is Ortaköy Mosque — the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque — on the water’s edge right beneath the Bosphorus Bridge, built in the 1850s under Sultan Abdülmecid by architects of the Balyan family in neo-baroque style. The neighbourhood is known for its multicultural fabric: the mosque, the Church of Agios Fokas and the Etz Ahayim Synagogue stand a few steps apart. The square is famous for its kumpir and waffle stalls and the waterfront for its view of the bridge; towards Beşiktaş lie Çırağan Palace and Yıldız Park.
From Taksim
DT1 and DT2 run from Taksim down through Dereboyu to Ortaköy; get off at Zübeyde Hanım Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi or Ortaköy–Kabataş Erkek Lisesi. Lines 40 and 40T run from Taksim to Ortaköy along the waterfront road. If you arrive at Taksim on an airport bus, you can change to these lines.
From Sultanahmet, Eminönü and Kabataş
Take the T1 tram to Kabataş, the end of the line. From Kabataş, buses 22 and 22B run along the waterfront through Beşiktaş and Çırağan to Ortaköy. For Ortaköy square and the mosque, get off at the Ortaköy stop; for ORA Coffee, get off one stop earlier at Ortaköy–Kabataş Erkek Lisesi.
From Beşiktaş
Lines 22RE, 57UL, U1 and U2 leave from Beşiktaş Peronlar next to the ferry pier; 22, 22B, 40 and 40T from the Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi stop; and 30D and DT1 from the Deniz Müzesi stop. On foot it is about 2 kilometres along the waterfront road.
By ferry from Kadıköy and Üsküdar
The Şehir Hatları Kadıköy–Üsküdar–Ortaköy line calls directly at Ortaköy pier a few times during the day. For more frequent sailings, take a ferry from Kadıköy or Üsküdar to Beşiktaş and continue on one of the buses above. ORA Coffee is about 250 metres from Ortaköy pier.
From Bebek, Arnavutköy, Ulus and Etiler
Lines 22, 22B, 40 and 40T come down the waterfront road from Bebek, Arnavutköy and Kuruçeşme to Ortaköy. From Ulus and Etiler, U1 and U2 — and 57UL from Kuruçeşmeüstü — stop at Zübeyde Hanım and Kabataş Erkek Lisesi.
A half-day in Ortaköy
From the ferry or the bus stop, head first to the waterfront, the mosque and the view beneath the bridge. Have a kumpir or a waffle on the square, then take a short walk along the water. To get away from the crowds for a while, stop at ORA Coffee a few streets up, at Eskibahçe Sokak No 7/A: San Sebastian cheesecake with chocolate, pistachio or raspberry sauce, with a coffee or a matcha alongside — and seats upstairs to rest. When the bridge lights come on in the evening, go back down to the water; ORA is open until midnight on weekdays and until 01:00 on Saturday and Sunday.
Common questions
What is there to do in Ortaköy?
In Ortaköy you can see Ortaköy Mosque (the Büyük Mecidiye Mosque) beneath the Bosphorus Bridge, eat kumpir and waffles on the square and walk along the waterfront. For a break, ORA Coffee, about 300 metres from the mosque, serves San Sebastian cheesecake with chocolate, pistachio or raspberry sauce and specialty coffee; open Monday to Friday 09:00–00:00 and at weekends 09:00–01:00.
How do I get from Taksim to Ortaköy?
From Taksim, buses DT1 and DT2 run to Ortaköy via Dereboyu, and 40 and 40T via the waterfront road. Get off at Ortaköy–Kabataş Erkek Lisesi and ORA Coffee is about 150 metres away.
How do I get from Sultanahmet to Ortaköy?
Take the T1 tram from Sultanahmet to Kabataş, then bus 22 or 22B, which run through Beşiktaş and Çırağan to Ortaköy. Get off at the Ortaköy stop for the square, or at Ortaköy–Kabataş Erkek Lisesi for ORA Coffee.
Which bus goes from Beşiktaş to Ortaköy?
From Beşiktaş Peronlar, lines 22RE, 57UL, U1 and U2; from the Bahçeşehir Üniversitesi stop, 22, 22B, 40 and 40T; and from the Deniz Müzesi stop, 30D and DT1. Walking from Beşiktaş to Ortaköy along the waterfront is about 2 kilometres.
Is there a ferry from Kadıköy to Ortaköy?
Yes. The Şehir Hatları Kadıköy–Üsküdar–Ortaköy line runs a few sailings during the day. For more frequent ferries, go from Kadıköy to Beşiktaş and continue to Ortaköy on bus 22RE, 57UL, U1 or U2. Ortaköy pier is about 250 metres from ORA Coffee.
Which stop should I get off at in Ortaköy?
For Ortaköy square and Ortaköy Mosque, get off at the Ortaköy stop. For ORA Coffee, the nearest stops are Ortaköy–Kabataş Erkek Lisesi and Zübeyde Hanım Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi, both about 150–200 metres away.