History
A Short History of the Princes' Islands
Why they're called the Princes' Islands, how they became Istanbul's summer retreat, and the heritage that shaped them.
The Princes' Islands have been a place of exile, of faith, and of escape — a quiet counterpoint to the great city across the water for nearly two thousand years.
Why "Princes'"?
The name comes from the Byzantine era, when the islands served as a place of exile for princes, empresses and other royals who had fallen from favour — often confined to island monasteries. The Turkish name, simply Adalar ("the Islands"), is more modest; the islands are also nicknamed the Kızıl Adalar, the "Red Islands," for the iron-rich soil.
Monasteries and the medieval islands
Throughout the Byzantine centuries the islands were dotted with monasteries and chapels, some of which survive in spirit at hilltop sites like Aya Yorgi on Büyükada. Monastic communities, pilgrims and exiles gave the islands a reputation for seclusion and devotion.
The Ottoman summer retreat
Under the Ottomans — especially from the 19th century, when regular steamboat services began — the islands blossomed into a fashionable summer retreat. Istanbul's prosperous Greek, Armenian and Jewish families, along with Levantine merchants, built the airy timber mansions (köşkler) that still line the streets. Explore the islands' multicultural heritage →
The 20th century — and a famous exile
The islands kept their role as a genteel escape into the modern era. Their most famous 20th-century resident arrived in exile, echoing the old Byzantine tradition: Leon Trotsky lived on Büyükada from 1929 to 1933 and wrote some of his major works there. Read about Trotsky on Büyükada →
The islands today
Now the Adalar district of Istanbul, the islands remain proudly car-free. The retirement of the horse-drawn phaetons in 2020 closed one chapter, but the essential character — sea air, pine forests, bicycles and Belle Époque villas — is exactly what visitors still come for.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
In the Byzantine era the islands were used to exile princes, empresses and deposed royals — some, like the emperor Romanos IV after his defeat at Manzikert in 1071, were blinded and sent here. The name stuck; Greeks also called them Papadonisia, 'the islands of the monks.'
A place of Byzantine monasteries and exile, then — from the 19th century, when steamboats began — a fashionable summer retreat for Istanbul's Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities, who built the timber mansions. Today they're the car-free Adalar district of Istanbul.
Byzantine princes, empresses and deposed emperors were exiled to the islands' monasteries. In the 20th century, Leon Trotsky spent his first years of exile on Büyükada (1929–1933).
'Kızıl Adalar' ('Red Islands') refers to the iron-rich, reddish soil, most visible on Kınalıada. The everyday Turkish name for the group is simply Adalar, 'the Islands.'
Ready for the islands?
Book a guided day trip with a boat cruise, free time on Büyükada and lunch.