Things to Do
Historic Mansions
The Belle Époque timber villas that give the islands their character — the mansion streets, the vast Prinkipo orphanage, and the stories behind them.
The Princes' Islands are an open-air museum of Belle Époque timber mansions — the airy summer villas that Istanbul's Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Levantine families built when regular steamboats turned the islands into the city's favourite summer retreat in the 19th century.
A self-guided mansion walk
On Büyükada especially, the streets fanning out from the pier — Çankaya, Nizam and 23 Nisan avenues through the Nizam and Maden neighbourhoods — are lined with elaborate wooden köşkler: ornate verandas, fretwork eaves, coloured shutters and overgrown gardens. Look out for named villas such as the Con Paşa, Mizzi and Yelkencizade mansions. Simply wandering and photographing them (from the street — most are private) is one of the island's great pleasures.
The Prinkipo orphanage
Büyükada's most astonishing building isn't a villa at all: the Prinkipo Greek Orthodox Orphanage, the largest wooden building in Europe (reputedly the second-largest in the world) — roughly 20,000 m² over six storeys. The architect Alexandre Vallaury designed it in 1898 as a grand hotel and casino; refused a licence, it became an orphanage instead, home to thousands of Greek children until 1964. It now stands empty on the hillside toward İsa Tepesi — weathered, fenced and on international heritage-at-risk lists, but unforgettable even from outside.
Why they're here
From the mid-19th century, steamboats made the islands a fashionable seasonal escape, and wealthy cosmopolitan families raised these summer homes side by side with churches and synagogues — a surviving snapshot of old, multicultural Istanbul. More on island heritage →
The Trotsky house
Among the villas is the ruined Yanaros Mansion, where Leon Trotsky lived in exile (1929–1933) and wrote his History of the Russian Revolution — high-fenced and closed today, a reminder that these quiet houses have seen real history.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
On Büyükada, along Çankaya, Nizam and 23 Nisan avenues in the Nizam and Maden neighbourhoods — a short walk from the pier. Named villas like the Con Paşa and Mizzi köşks stand out.
Most are private homes, so it's a street-view walk rather than a house tour. The Prinkipo orphanage is fenced off but striking from outside, and Trotsky's Yanaros mansion is ruined and closed.
A vast six-storey wooden building on Büyükada — the largest wooden building in Europe — designed in 1898 as a hotel/casino and used as a Greek orphanage until 1964. It stands empty today, a landmark of the island.
When 19th-century steamboats turned the islands into Istanbul's summer retreat, wealthy Greek, Armenian, Jewish and Levantine families built these timber summer villas — many still line the streets.
Ready for the islands?
Book a guided day trip with a boat cruise, free time on Büyükada and lunch.