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By Ferry to Rumelikavağı and On to Garipçe
Cultural

By Ferry to Rumelikavağı and On to Garipçe

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Beyond Sarıyer on the European shore of the Bosphorus, settlements thin out, the slopes are covered with forest and the water narrows towards the Black Sea. Rumelikavağı is the last ferry pier on this shore.

Sarıyer, İstanbul
Cultural
Radar Editör
September 24, 2026

About Trip

Beyond Sarıyer on the European shore of the Bosphorus, settlements thin out, the slopes are covered with forest and the water narrows towards the Black Sea. Rumelikavağı is the last ferry pier on this shore. A little further north, just short of the mouth that opens onto the Black Sea, stand the fishing village of Garipçe and its eighteenth-century castle. This outing brings together a pier village reached by ferry, the traces of the castles that guarded the Bosphorus for centuries and one of the northernmost villages on the shore, all in a single day. Anadolu Kavağı on the opposite shore and Rumeli Feneri to the north have their own outings; here they appear only as neighbours.

By ferry to Rumelikavağı

The best way to reach Rumelikavağı is by ferry. The Şehir Hatları Long Bosphorus Tour leaves Eminönü, calls at Beşiktaş, Üsküdar, Kanlıca and Sarıyer, stops at Rumeli Kavağı and ends at Anadolu Kavağı, calling at the same piers on the way back. Sailing times change with the season, so check the timetable on the Şehir Hatları website. As the ferry works its way north, drawing near one shore and then the other, it is also the easiest way to see the whole length of the Bosphorus in one go.

Şehir Hatları describes the Rumelikavağı pier as the last pier on the European shore of the Bosphorus and notes that it is one of the piers that has survived thanks to its appeal to visitors. The present pier opened on 21 February 2002. According to the same source, there is also a scheduled boat service to the opposite shore, so if you want to stretch the day you can cross to Anadolu Kavağı on a short sea trip.

A shore of castles and a chain

The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam describes Rumelikavağı as a village founded at the point of the Bosphorus closest to the Black Sea. According to the entry, there was once a Byzantine temple here. The Byzantines built castles both here and at Anadolukavağı opposite to defend the strait, together with a wall running from the hilltop down to the shore. When necessary, the Bosphorus could be closed with a great chain stretched from one shore to the other and fixed to the walls on each side. The encyclopedia adds that the castle at Anadolukavağı is very solid, while at Rumelikavağı only ruins can be seen. Wikipedia also records that A. Dumont, who carried out research in the area, found the remains of a breakwater under the water.

In the Ottoman period the village's importance came from the castle built in the reign of Murad IV, known as Boğazhisarı. According to TDV, its four corners measured a thousand paces and it had a gate on its south side; Evliya Çelebi wrote that there were sixty houses for the garrison inside. The encyclopedia also explains the background to this fortification. In 1624 Cossacks entered the Bosphorus and raided the areas around Sarıyer, Büyükdere, Tarabya and Yeniköy, after which castles were built at the mouth of the strait and garrisoned with guards and gunners. Later, the four forts of Rumelikavağı, Anadolukavağı, the Yuşa battery and Tellidalyan came to be called "kıla-i erbaa", the four castles, and were staffed with salaried officers, gunners and soldiers.

Today, according to Wikipedia, Rumelikavağı is known for its fish, mussels and figs, and most of its people have roots in the eastern Black Sea region. For lunch, fish or mussels are the best-known tastes of this shore. Walk along the shore for a while and look across to the slope of Anadolu Kavağı and the Yoros Castle on the hill above it; picturing a chain once stretched between these two shores tells you better than any figure how narrow the Bosphorus is here.

Garipçe, one of the seven castles

From Rumelikavağı you head north to Garipçe through forested hills. The TDV Encyclopedia of Islam explains that in the eighteenth century, as Russia became a threat, new castles were built along the Black Sea strait. First, outside the strait, two castles each were built at Kilyos on the European side, at Irva on the Asian side and at the lighthouses at the mouth of the strait; then the castles of Garipçe and Büyükliman Tersanesi on the European shore and Poyraz Limanı on the Asian shore were added. Once they numbered seven, they were known collectively as "kıla-i seba", the seven castles, and musket and cannon drills were held there. According to the encyclopedia, Selim III brought engineers from France and Sweden to speed up the defence of the strait and appointed an officer with the title of "Boğaz nazırı", superintendent of the strait, over these castles.

According to Küre Encyclopedia, Garipçe Castle was built in the reign of Mustafa III; the first records of it date from 1772 to 1773. The watchtower is thought to have been built around 1778 by the French military adviser François Baron de Tott, who is also believed to have had a hand in the overall design. The castle has a slightly irregular rectangular plan that follows the lie of the land. Its walls, built of mixed stone and brick, are pierced at intervals by small observation windows. According to Wikipedia, the castle was used by the army for a time in the Republican period, and parts that had crumbled were patched with reinforced concrete in the past.

In recent years the castle has been included in restoration work carried out by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. According to a news report published in 2023, the Garipçe and Rumeli Feneri castles were closed to visitors while the work went on, and the Kültür Envanteri heritage database lists the building among structures under restoration. Before you go, check whether the castle can be entered. Even if it is closed, the walls can be seen from the ridges above the village and from the shore.

The fishing village of Garipçe

Garipçe is a small village. According to Wikipedia, its livelihood is mainly fishing, followed by livestock, and in 1972 its entire population had come from the Sürmene district of Trabzon. Forest covers 85 per cent of the neighbourhood. Boat trips run from the village pier to Büyükliman and other swimming coves, and Büyükliman bay can also be reached by boat from central Sarıyer.

Wikipedia notes that the area is a resting place for migrating songbirds, that birdwatching events were held here between 2011 and 2014, and that 23 bird species were recorded in 2013. If you have binoculars, bring them; the scrubby slopes and coastal rocks around the village are worth a look.

On Garipçe Point, south of the village, rises the European tower of the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge. According to Wikipedia, the bridge, which spans the strait between Garipçe and Poyrazköy on the opposite shore, opened on 26 August 2016. Its towers are visible from almost everywhere in the village, and the old castle and the new bridge fit into the same frame.

The Black Sea mouth of the Bosphorus

Garipçe lies just inside the mouth where the Bosphorus opens onto the Black Sea. Rumeli Feneri to the north and Poyrazköy and Anadolu Feneri on the opposite shore hold the two sides of this mouth. The lighthouses and castles at the mouth of the strait mentioned by the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam are a reminder that for centuries this shore was seen as the city's northern gate. Look north from the castle ridge or the pier and the shores fall away, with open sea beginning on the horizon. Standing this close to the Black Sea shows in a very concrete way how far the ferry you boarded at Eminönü in the morning has brought you.

Plan for the day

Take the Long Bosphorus Tour ferry to Rumelikavağı in the morning, wander around the pier and along the shore, and have lunch there. In the afternoon move on to Garipçe. According to Wikipedia, the only public transport to Garipçe is an İETT bus from Hacıosman metro station; check the current route and times with İETT, or take a taxi from Rumelikavağı. After exploring the pier, the village square and the area around the castle, you can take the bus back to Hacıosman and the metro into the city. If you want to return by ferry, you will need to go back to Rumelikavağı in time for the return sailing, so work out the times in advance.

Season and time of day

Because this shore is open to the Black Sea, the air can be cooler and windier than in the city centre; even in summer, bring an extra layer. Spring and autumn are the migration seasons and the most rewarding times for birdwatching. If you plan to visit coves such as Büyükliman in summer, ask about boat trips locally. As the European shore faces east, in the late afternoon the sun is behind you and the light falls on the wooded slopes of the opposite shore; in the morning the sun rises over the Asian side.

Practical notes

  • Check the Long Bosphorus Tour timetable with Şehir Hatları.
  • Public transport to Garipçe is limited, so plan your return in advance.
  • Find out before you go whether Garipçe Castle is open, as it has been under restoration.
  • The ground around the castle is rocky and steep; take care going down to the shore.
  • When ordering seafood, check freshness and prices at the outset.

Sources

Location - By Ferry to Rumelikavağı and On to Garipçe

Trip Info
CitySarıyer, İstanbul
TypeCultural
DateSeptember 24, 2026
SourceRadar Editör
Radar TürkiyeAuthorRadar TürkiyeVisit SourceGet Directions