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BÜYÜKADA

The Crown of the Princes’ Islands

Moments from the City,
Worlds Apart

Pine-scented boulevards. Evergreen paths that open to the sea. Monastery views rising above the Marmara. Büyükada feels a world apart, yet always within sight of the city.

An island which
has seduced generations of writers, travellers and aristocrats.

For centuries, Büyükada has held its allure. Once an imperial residence under Justinian I, it became a seasonal haven for the Ottoman elite. In time, it drew figures such as Leon Trotsky, who wrote here in seclusion, and Edward VIII with Wallis Simpson, who spent summers here in private.

A Different Pace of Istanbul

With no fuelled vehicles, only electric cars, the air is lighter, clearer. The island’s layered past reveals itself in synagogues, churches and mosques standing side by side. By the harbour, a small town continues as it always has, tavernas, familiar rituals, life at its own pace. Büyükada endures as an heirloom island, both a gateway and a getaway.

Stone farmhouse at Tenuta Ceccatelli surrounded by gardens and rolling Tuscan hills

Once a Belle Époque Time…

Shaped by Levantine, Ottoman and Jewish communities, Büyükada became a meeting point of cultures and a place of cultivated living. Within the grand salons of its mansions, evenings stretched over long dinners, and conversation carried late. Büyükada became known for its art of leisure, where society gathered and returned with the seasons. That legacy endures today.

MAGNIFICENT TRACES of ANOTHER AGE

Byzantine monasteries perched above pine-covered hills, Ottoman mansions with finely carved façades and historic Greek Orthodox churches are only some of Büyükada’s jewels, waiting to be discovered.

The Crossing

Just beyond Istanbul’s historic peninsula, the crossing to Büyükada has long been part of the island’s story. From Dragos Pier, that same passage carries you across the Marmara Sea, arriving at the water’s edge where our private pier awaits.

Close enough
to arrive in moments.

Far enough for everything to feel different.

Plan your stay