Kadiköy - Haydarpasa Railway Station - Free sights in Istanbul

Yet another sight in Istanbul, but one which is often not overseen but not visited. Assumingly because it is a little bit of the beaten track and located in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Nevertheless the Haydarpasa Railway Station is for sure one of most grand and important symbols of the city. It is situated next to the wharf in Kadiköy and has a unique architecture, representing German renaissance. 

Neoclassical Haydarpasa Railway Station

Haydarpasa Railway Station, Kadiköy, Istanbul © Nevit Dilmen
The neoclassical Haydarpasa building, basically a gift to the Sultan Abdul Hamid II from German Kaiser Wilhelm II, was built by the Anatolia-Baghdad Corporation, according to plans carried out by the German architects Otto Ritter von Kühlmann and Hellmuth Cuno, between 1906 and 1908. Its foundation is 1100 wooden piles, each 21 meters long, driven into the mushy shore by steam hammer. It outer appearance resembles to a certain distinct a small european castle, therefore perfectly fitting into the attitude on how Istanbul should look like during the time it was built. And nowadays this very interesting sight of Istanbul still carries one back to the beginning of the 20th century. Right now it is undergoing renovations and reconstruction, but it is still possible to visit it and enjoy one of the most recognized symbols of the Asian side of Istanbul.

Even though the Haydarpasa Railway Station alone is well worth a visit to Kadiköy it is highly recommendable to combine it with taking a stroll around the side streets like Misaki Milli Sk and Karakolhane Cd. on the way to Haydarpasa, which provide quite a lot of interesting street art. An overview where to find which street art with some examples is to find in this blog post about Kadiköy street art.


DIRECTIONS
Haydarpasa Railway Station, Kadiköy - Open from 07:00-22:00 - free entry
Ferries from Besiktas, Karaköy and Eminönü
Marmaray Rail to Station Ayrilik Cesmesi

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