Adalar
Princes'''''''''''''''' Islands
General Information
Common Name: Prens Adalari
Other Name: Kizil Adalar, District: Istanbul, State: Marmara Region, Turkey
Area: 15.85 km²
Languages Spoken: Turkish
Long Distance Code: (+90) 0216
Importance: -
Best Time to Visit: May to August and -
International Access: Istanbul Sabiha Gökcen International Airport (SAW)
Description
Princes’ Islands (Turkish: Prens Adaları, also İstanbul Adaları, Kızıl Adalar or Adalar; “Islands of Istanbul”, “Red Islands”, and “Islands” respectively) are a group of nine islands off the Asian coast of Istanbul, Turkey. Understand Princes’ Islands take their name from the fact that during Byzantine and early Ottoman period, members of dynasties who fell out of favor were sent to exile there. Until late 19th century, when regular steamer transportation showed up in the seas around Istanbul, these islands were considered remote and far-away places. Apart from the exiled princes, only a handful of monks found these islands inhabitable then, a fact which gives the islands their former name in Turkish: Keşiş Adaları (“Islands of the Monks”). Princes’ Islands consist of four major and five minor islands. Major ones are as follows (from west to east, also from smallest to biggest): Kınalıada, Burgaz, Heybeliada, and Büyükada. Apart from these, only one more island of the archipelago is inhabited, that is Sedef which lies east of Büyükada. The other, unhabited ones are: Tavşan south of Büyükada, Kaşık (between Burgaz and Heybeliada), Yassıada and Sivriada (both lying further away in the sea, southwest of Kınalıada). This article will focus on the four major ones, as public transport to uninhabited islands is virtually non-existant, and much of Sedef is private property with limited access. The islands are an interesting anomaly because they allow for a very rare, albeit incomplete, insight into a multicultural society in modern Turkey, possibly alike to the multicultural society that once existed during the Ottoman Empire in places such as nearby Istanbul/Constantinople. Prior to 1950s, each of the inhabited islands had significant communities of ethnic minorities of Turkey, which still is the case to a much smaller extent. Since the vast majority of the residents and visitors are Turkish, today their legacy is of cultural rather than of demographic importance: Kınalıada (Greek: Proti) used to be the summer retreat of the Armenian archbishop and the Armenian community of Istanbul, Burgazada (Greek: Antigoni) used to be a sleepy village inhabited by Greek fishermen. Heybeliada (Greek: Halki) was the main Turkish settlement on the Princes'''''''' Islands, while Büyükada (Greek: Prinkipos) was mostly favored by local Jews and foreign residents of Istanbul, mostly of European descent, although all of these ethnicities could be encountered on Büyükada. This is partially responsible for the different characters of the islands that lie so close to each other. These islands prove to be a good day-trip especially when you are bored of the crowd, noise, and traffic of Istanbul. Quite a shock is what many travellers experience upon their return to the city, when full-blast car horns are still the way how they were when left behind early in the morning. One of the best times to be on the islands is during spring (April-May) and during autumn (September-October). During these seasons, the air is neither that cold nor hot, the islands are not very crowded and during spring (especially in late March), the mimosa trees, which are some sort of symbol of the islands, are in full bloom of their yellow flowers. At weekends during summer (June-August), all of the islands are really crowded, and so are the ships. Avoid if you can. During winter, the exact opposite is the case. However, if you want to enjoy the islands blanketed by snow and/or a very gloomy and almost deserted “ghost-town” experience and don’t mind the biting cold, then winter is definitely that season. If you don’t have time to visit all of the islands, pick Büyükada: it’s undoubtedly the “queen” of the islands. Orientation Büyükada Upon getting off the ferry, you’ll recognize the clock at the square just a block up in front of you. This is the main square of Büyükada, and around it is the town centre. Most grocery stores are to your left, as well as the restaurants which also occupy the waterfront to your left when exiting the quay. From the clock, major roads of the island diverge left (east), right (west), and straight ahead (south) among some mansions (best of which are lined on the main road to right) towards the hill, as well as narrower streets and alleys connecting these. These roads join each other again in Birlik Meydanı Square (lit. "union square", perhaps because the roads "unite" there), the geographical centre point of the island, lying amongst pine woods between the two main hilltops. From that square, whether you take the road to left or right, you will end up in the same square, as that road encircles the southern half of the island, at a distance to the sea. The Chuch of St George lies at the end of another cobbled uphill path starting from Birlik Meydanı. There is a large and detailed map of the island posted at the left of exit of ferry quay. Get in The only way to get to islands is by sea: whether Istanbul liners or fast ferries, available at various hours every day. From European Side of Istanbul, you can take a boat from Kabataş, while from Asian Side, the piers with a connection to the islands are located in Kadıköy, Bostancı, Maltepe and Kartal. The most frequent departures are from Bostancı (especially in winter), which also has private mid-sized boat connection to the islands in addition to liners and fast ferries. See Asian Side article for an extensive detail of how to get to Bostancı from more central parts of the city. A trip on liners typically take around an hour and a half from European Side, and 45 minutes from Asian Side. Almost all ferries call at all four major islands in a row, but sometimes they first call at Büyükada, and other times at Kınalıada. Island names are not announced by voice inside the ships, so be sure to check the large signs on the quays to make sure that the island you are about to step on is the one that you want to step on.Location
The Princes'''''''''''''''' Islands are a chain of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, Turkey, in the Sea of Marmara. The islands also constitute the Adalar (literally Islands or Isles) district of Istanbul Province. They consist of four larger islands, Büyükada (meaning "Big Island") with an area of 5.46 km2, Heybeliada (meaning "Saddlebag Island") with an area of 2.4 km2, Burgazada (the name of a mythological figure) with an area of 1.5 km2, Kınalıada (meaning "Henna Island", being the closest island to Istanbul) with an area of 1.3 km2, and five much smaller ones, Sedef Adası (meaning "Mother-of-Pearl Island") with an area of 0.157 km2, Yassıada (meaning "Flat Island") with an area of 0.05 km2, Sivriada (meaning "Sharp Island") with an area of 0.05 km2, Kaşık Island (Turkish: Kaşık Adası, "Spoon Island") with an area of 0.006 km2, and Tavşan Adası (meaning "Rabbit Island") with an area of 0.004 km2.Climate
They have a Mediterranean subtropical climate with evergreen vegetation, gardens, and vineyards.