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Silivri's Clifftop Castle, a Grand Vizier's Mosque and a Famous Yogurt
Cultural

Silivri's Clifftop Castle, a Grand Vizier's Mosque and a Famous Yogurt

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Silivri is Istanbul's westernmost district. Most people drive past it on the way to Edirne, yet the old town holds a story more than two thousand years long.

Silivri, İstanbul
Cultural
Radar Editör
September 24, 2026

About Trip

Silivri is Istanbul's westernmost district. Most people drive past it on the way to Edirne, yet the old town holds a story more than two thousand years long. Known in antiquity as Selymbria, the town kept its importance in every era, the Silivri Municipality notes, thanks to its natural harbour and its position on major trade routes. Today the clifftop holds a park inside the old walls, below it stands a sixteenth-century grand vizier's mosque complex, west of town a long stone bridge from Süleyman's reign crosses the stream, and the town still makes a yogurt with nearly 150 years of history. It makes a good day out for history, the sea and a memorable meal.

Getting There from Istanbul

According to the municipality, Silivri lies about 67 kilometres west of the city centre on the Sea of Marmara. By car the easiest route is the D-100, the road everyone still calls the E-5. Weekend traffic leaving the city can be slow, so set off early.

By public transport, ride the Metrobus to its western terminals at Avcılar or Beylikdüzü. İETT lines such as the 303A run between the western end of the Metrobus corridor and Silivri. Check İETT's current route information before you go. Once in town, the castle and the mosque are within walking distance of each other; the bridge needs a short ride.

Selymbria Castle on the Cliff

Start the day on the hill where the castle stood. According to the Kültür Envanteri heritage database, nobody knows who built the first walls. Emperor Arcadius (377-408) rebuilt the fortress after marrying Eudoxia and briefly renamed the town Eudoxiapolis in her honour. The same source records repairs under Justinian in the sixth century, again under Constantine V and Michael III, and a final restoration under Bayezid II. Most of what survives dates from between the ninth and twelfth centuries.

The walls enclosed a rectangle with no southern side, because that face is a rock cliff dropping steeply into the sea. The western side ran for about 370 metres, the northern for 350 and the eastern for 310, and the main gates on the north opened onto the Via Egnatia. Municipal records say that fifteen days after the conquest of Istanbul, Dayı Karaca Bey took Silivri together with the other Thracian fortresses.

The interior is now Silivri Kalepark. Opened on 30 August 2020 after restoration by the municipality, the park sits on a cliff about 47 metres above the sea. Its open-air display holds around 150 stone pieces from the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods found in and around Silivri. Take your time with the capitals, gravestones and inscriptions; there are bilingual information boards too. Little of the fortress itself survives, so the cliff and the stones are the real attraction. There is a café and a picnic area inside.

The Piri Mehmed Pasha Mosque and Complex

Walk down to the town's key Ottoman monument. According to the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam, Piri Mehmed Pasha was born in Konya around 1463, became grand vizier to Selim I in 1518 and kept the post into the early years of Süleyman's reign. Dismissed in 1523, he retired to his farm at Silivri, died there in the autumn of 1532 and lies in the graveyard of his mosque.

The endowment deed of 1521 describes a large complex with a mosque, college, guesthouse, soup kitchen, primary school, bakery, shops and a timekeeper's room. The mosque, the inn, the primary school and the timekeeper's room survive. The inscription over the main door gives the year 1530-31. The architect is not known for certain; the date falls in the years when Acem Ali was chief architect.

The mosque stands on a raised terrace in a wide courtyard and follows the so-called zaviye or tabhane plan. Its portico rests on four columns with muqarnas capitals and is roofed by five small domes, the central one slightly higher. Inside, an 11.9-metre dome covers the square prayer hall, flanked by two small domed rooms. Look at the Throne Verse at the centre of the main dome and the painted decoration around the windows, which has been renewed in recent years. The base of the minaret is original, while the upper part was rebuilt in 1765-66 by the complex's administrator, Sadeddin Bey.

The two-storey stone building east of the mosque was the primary school. The 13 by 47 metre building along the eastern edge of the courtyard is the one the deed calls the imaret inn. In the graveyard on the qibla side, look at the sarcophagi and headstones; the tombs of Piri Mehmed Pasha and his son are in its north-western corner.

The Thirty-Two Arch Bridge

In the Mimar Sinan neighbourhood west of the town stands the stone bridge locally known as the 32-Arch Bridge. The Ministry of National Education's outdoor-learning guide says it was built in the sixteenth century under Süleyman to strengthen the road network, organise trade routes and control flooding. Its cut-stone arches show classical Ottoman engineering up close. The bridge is attributed to Mimar Sinan; since sources disagree on the year and the number of arches, "the 1560s" is the safest date. Do not climb on the stonework.

The Population Exchange House Museum

In the Fatih neighbourhood, the Population Exchange House Museum was set up by the Istanbul Governorship and Silivri Municipality to tell the story of the families who came to Silivri in the exchange agreed at Lausanne. According to the municipality, the rooms are furnished to show three generations: the ground floor covers 1923-1930, the upper floor the 1950s and 60s, and the children's room the 1970s and 80s. Most objects were donated by exchangee families. The lower hall shows photographs of the Gülcemal, the ship that became a symbol of the exchange journey. Entry is free and the museum is closed on Mondays.

Silivri Yogurt and Its Famous Cream

At the table, Silivri means yogurt. The geographical indication registered in 2022 by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on behalf of Silivri Municipality traces the tradition back to the 1870s. Yogurt made in dedicated dairies was shipped to Istanbul by sea. When the rough crossing broke up the cream layer, local makers developed methods to protect it, and from the 1930s the yogurt was also sent to large cities such as İzmir and Ankara.

The registration describes a yellowish, thick yogurt made from cow's, sheep's or buffalo milk, topped with a thick, rough layer of cream. The milk is cooked for a long time, poured into pots from a height and given a second heating known as cream cooking. It is set in glass or earthenware pots and sold in the same containers. A Yogurt Festival has been held here since 1961; check the municipality's announcements for dates.

Selimpaşa and the Coast

The district has around 45 kilometres of Marmara coastline. On the way back, stop at Selimpaşa, 13 kilometres east of Silivri. Known as Epibates in Byzantine times, it is now a summer resort with a long sandy beach, and it holds a festival for its topatan melons and okra.

A Suggested Day

  • Start at Kalepark in the morning; an hour is enough for the walls and the stone collection.
  • Walk down to the Piri Mehmed Pasha Mosque, timing your visit outside prayer times.
  • At lunch, do not skip a bowl of Silivri yogurt.
  • In the afternoon, visit the Population Exchange House Museum, then drive to the 32-Arch Bridge.
  • On the way back to Istanbul, break the journey at Selimpaşa beach in the late afternoon.

Season and Timing

Municipal data say rain begins in autumn and peaks in winter; summers are mild, with August the hottest month. Late spring and September-October are the most comfortable for walking around Kalepark and the bridge. In summer you can add the beach, but leave early to beat the weekend traffic home. Morning light makes the inscriptions easier to read.

Practical Notes

  • Wear clothing that covers shoulders and knees in the mosque, and women should cover their hair. Shoes come off at the door; keep your voice down and do not walk in front of people praying.
  • Check current opening hours for the museum and Kalepark on the Silivri Municipality website.
  • If you plan to buy yogurt, bring a cool bag. The geographical indication stresses that it must travel in a cold chain.
  • The bridge is outdoors and open every day; take a hat and water in summer.
  • The southern edge of the castle is a sheer cliff; keep children away from the edge.

Sources

Location - Silivri's Clifftop Castle, a Grand Vizier's Mosque and a Famous Yogurt

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