Kuzguncuk is a neighborhood in the historical and traditional Üsküdar district on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. Driving north along the coast from the Üsküdar ferry port, you will arrive in Kuzguncuk before the first Bosphorus bridge. This neighborhood is centered in a valley overlooking the Bosphorus, surrounded by nature reserves and cemeteries. Kuzguncuk is a unique place – it is indeed beautiful as a sweet delicacy.

Kuzguncuk is a quiet neighborhood with streets lined with colorful antique wooden houses. The narrow streets are full of charming cafes and restaurants with terraces.

Many old religious buildings of different faiths (synagogues, churches and mosques) also create a special historic atmosphere. And you will also always find something surprising, unusual and fun.

In addition to this, in Kuzguncuk you will find many small art and bookstores that fit perfectly into the area’s charming atmosphere.

For tourists in Istanbul, Balat is often presented as the colorful neighborhood. But for me, Balat was too full of decaying romance – and colorful mostly just on Instagram. (So I maybe need to visit Balat again and get to know it in more detail.) But Kuzguncuk charms with its colors in real life as well. In addition, everything here is well taken care of.

In addition to all of the above, there is one more surprise in Kuzguncuk. There is a communal vegetable garden, from which the townspeople in the area can get their own plot of land for growing their vegetables for free. And only organic is grown here! In a metropolis like Istanbul, this is not necessarily automatic. So advanced and brilliant! This area has beautiful nature anyway, so you can even come here for a picnic with the children.

All this together makes Kuzgunzuk a charming and piquant ”nature, art & cafe oasis” that is definitely worth a visit. You can easily get here from Üsküdar ferry port by bus or taxi, the distance is short.

More information: Kuzguncuk