Burgazada – Princes’ Islands

For a tourist, Istanbul has many things to offer. Be it for the sake of entertainment, healthcare or other activities, there are always various options that you can interact with freely in the city. The historical places, restaurants, cafes, nightclubs and the Bosphorus view of Istanbul can take you to another world. In fairness, they are all different worlds on their own and they reflect the multidimensional aspects of the city in cultural, social and historical ways. Having so many different layers for interaction, Istanbul has also one special thing that everyone, even the tourists, secretly wishes for: Tranquillity.

As you can already expect, such a city with multiple dimensions that strike the fancy of people from a wide range could be a very crowded place, and sometimes the chaos of the city prevents its people from perceiving the cultural wealth and history around them. Some peace and tranquillity is the main thing everyone wishes for in the ruthless chaos of the city. Fortunately, besides cosy cafes and green parks, Istanbul has a lot to offer in this field, as well. The inhabitants and the tourists visiting Istanbul have always an option for a calm trip to Adalar, the Prince Islands in Turkish, and that is definitely a way of releasing some negative energy.

The Prince Islands, or also referred to as The Princes Islands, consist of 4 essential lands, respectively named from the littlest to the biggest as Kınalıada, Burgazada, Heybeliada, and Büyükada.

Burgazada falls on the third row in the list and it provides the peace you are looking for, without any doubt, thanks to its inevitable natural beauty surrounded by the blue of Marmara.

The History of Burgazada, aka Antigoni

In the ancient times, the name of the island was known as Panormos. It meant “a safe seaport”. During the Byzantine rule, it started to be known as “Antigoni”.

This name’s still preferred by Greeks to Burgazada. Indeed, the Turkish roots of the name “Burgaz” has derived from the Greek word “pyrgos” as some sort of its corruption. The Greek word “Pyrgos” stands for the tower. To put it more correctly, it refers to an ancient watchtower on the summit of the island. The famous Ottoman historian Evliya Çelebi and other travellers and historians mention this watchtower in their works.  Although it cannot be seen in our contemporary era, Cosima Comidas depicted that historical watchtower in an engraving he had made in the year of 1794. Other than that, the whole island looks rather bare except for an orchard and a few cultivated areas that appear on the engraving. Nevertheless, travellers who had visited Burgazada up until the early 19^th century also mentioned this watchtower.

As for the very former name of Burgazada, Antigoni refers to name of the tower built by Demetrius I of Macedon, one of the successors of Alexander the Great. This tower had been named after his father Antigonus I Monophtalmus. The name Antigoni is still used by some of the Greek population instead of the Turkish name Burgazada.

It is also said that Metodios, one of the most respectable patriarchs of the Orthodox Church, was imprisoned in a cell by the Byzantine Iconoclasts for seven years.

The inhabitants of Burgazada were mostly of Greek or Jewish origin. Gradually, though, this population of minorities has left its place to people residing in Istanbul.

Other than that, the famous Turkish writer Sait Faik Abasıyanık and the Ottoman-Greek Publisher Demetrius Nicolaides resided in Burgazada as its notable residents.

The Places and Activities You Should Certainly Know About When You Visit Burgazada

Being one of the most favourite islands of everyone among Prince Islands, Burgazada consists of one hill 2 kilometres long. It’s the third island in terms of bigness. The top of this hill is named as the Hristos Hill, or Bayrak Hill in Turkish, and reaches 170 metres above sea level.

The Hristos Monastery takes place on the top of that hill, as well.

Towards to the Southern coast, you can find Kalpazankaya which is famous for its scenery. As you go south from there, you will also find Martha Bay.

To the northwest of Martha Bay, there stands the Hagia Yorgi Monastery.

For a more entertaining and enjoyable visit, you may as well consider renting a bike to tour around Burgazada. Renting a bike will provide you benefits like being able to roam around the island without much effort since there is no public transportation. For now, the only option for travelling around is by walking or renting a bike. However, the Municipality of Istanbul considers using some mini-cars instead of ruthless horse carriages in order to transport passengers. Those carriages haven’t been in use for a certain time due to their harsh effects on the lovely horses of Burgazada.

1) The Hristos Hill (Bayraktepe)

During your visit to Burgazada, you can climb the Hristos Hill (Christ Hill) by walking or cycling up for nearly 170 metres above the sea level. This hill is widely preferred by visitors and the inhabitants for its breath taking views. From this one and only hill of Burgazada, you can observe the other islands and the vast Sea of Marmara with the fresh air and the pine trees around. Before or after this, you can also visit the Hristos Monastery.

2) The Hristos Monastery

Named after Jesus Christ, the Hristos Monastery is such an extraordinary place to visit. Having been built in 865 AD by the order of Emperor Vasil I, the monastery has archaeological relics remaining from the Ancient Greek Era. The Orthodoxy followers come here on every August 6 and they conduct their religious rituals here. So, if you are going to visit Burgazada around that time, it could be more crowded than you expect.

3) Kalpazankaya

Being 30 minutes of walking from the ferry port, Kalpazankaya is named after a strange condition. “Kalpazan” means “Forger” and “Counterfeiter” in Turkish. The region has been named after the intense activities of paper forging taking place there. They were mostly producing fake money. Nonetheless, there is also another reason for being such a preferable place: Its enchanting view. You can also relax on the beach here or have lunch at one of the restaurants while enjoying the natural beauty and the Sea of Marmara.

4) Ayyios Ioannes Prodromos (Church)

 Having been built in 867 AD by the order of Emperor Theodore, Ayyios Ioannes Church in Burgazada has been the topic of historical speculations. It is said that the Orthodox Patriarch Metodios had been kept here in a cell for 11 years, each year representing a single step of the stairs going down to the jail in the cellar. After 11 years, he was said to start his job as a father here. It is certainly one of the most beautiful constructions to behold in Burgazada.

5) Hagia Yorgi Monastery

Only 850 metres away from the east of the ferry port, the Hagia Yorgi Monastery has been built by following the traces of traditional Byzantine architecture. Once you walk in the monastery, you will be met by the main entrance and the church. However, there is a two story monastery dorm when you go down the ladders. You can visit this spectacular monastery located in the North coast between 9 am and 4 pm except for Mondays and Fridays.

6) Spanudis Mansion

Also known as the island of Sait Faik, a famous Turkish writer, Burgazada has Spanudis Mansion in which the famous writer resided and now has been converted into a museum.

7) Having a Picnic

You can consider having a jolly picnic with your loved ones or by yourself when you visit Burgazada. Spending time in the beautiful red pine forests (although some of them were a victim of a horrendous fire in 2003) will surely boost your mood up and clear your energy by detoxifying your negative thoughts with the help of the soothing nature of Burgazada. If you especially visit during fall, you can walk around all those colourful leaves.

8) Spending Time at the Beach

In all of the Prince Islands, you can swim or spend time at the beach. There are some public or private beaches where you can swim in Burgazada, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Burgazada (Antigoni)