The Islands · Burgazada
Burgazada — the Quiet Island
The literary island: pine-scented calm, the Sait Faik Museum, Byzantine hilltop churches and sunset at Kalpazankaya — a peaceful escape from the crowds.
Key facts
- Island
- Burgazada (3rd largest)
- Character
- Quiet, literary
- Museum
- Sait Faik Abasıyanık Museum
- Highest hill
- Bayraktepe / Hristos Tepesi (~170 m)
- Sunset spot
- Kalpazankaya
- Good for
- Escaping the crowds
Burgazada is the quiet one — the third-largest island, far less commercial than Büyükada, with a fishing-village feel that has long made it the most peaceful (and, some say, most romantic) of the Princes' Islands.
The literary island — Sait Faik
Burgazada is inseparable from Sait Faik Abasıyanık (1906–1954), Turkey's most celebrated short-story writer, who moved here with his mother in 1934 — the island's fishermen, children and lonely wanderers fill his stories. His former family home (the Spanudis Köşkü) is now the Sait Faik Abasıyanık Museum, run by the Darüşşafaka charity to which he willed it. First opened in 1959 and restored in 2013, it keeps his belongings, manuscripts, letters, photographs and study much as he left them. Reported open Wednesday–Saturday, roughly 10:30–17:00, free entry (closed Sun–Tue) — verify before visiting.
Kalpazankaya — the sunset point
On the island's west side, Kalpazankaya is a rocky cove beneath a low cliff and Burgazada's prime sunset spot. The name means "counterfeiters' rock," after forgers said to have minted fake coins in the caves here in Ottoman times; Sait Faik often walked out this way to write. A well-known cliffside seafood restaurant sits beside the beach, at its best as the sun goes down over the Marmara.
Hilltop monasteries & churches
Burgazada's single hill, Bayraktepe (Hristos Tepesi, ~170 m), is topped by the Byzantine Monastery of the Transfiguration of Christ, said to have been founded by Emperor Basil I "the Macedonian" on the ruins of an ancient temple; the climb is rewarded with panoramic views. Down in the village, the Church of St. John the Baptist (Aya Yani) holds a remarkable story: it was first built by the Byzantine Empress Theodora over the cell where St. Methodios was imprisoned for seven years (821–829) for defending icons — he later became Ecumenical Patriarch. The present church (rebuilt 1896–99 after the 1894 earthquake) still has a stair down to the saint's dungeon.
Getting there & around
Burgazada is the second island stop on the ferry line (between Kınalıada and Heybeliada). It's small, car-free and easily explored on foot or by bike. Full ferry guide →
On the map
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Peace and quiet, a fishing-village atmosphere, and its literary heritage — it was the home of the beloved short-story writer Sait Faik, whose house is now a museum. It's the calmest of the four visitable islands.
If you're interested in Turkish literature or old island life, yes — it preserves the writer's home, belongings and manuscripts. It's small, free and reported open Wednesday–Saturday; confirm hours before you go.
A rocky cove on Burgazada's west coast — the island's favourite sunset spot, with a cliffside seafood restaurant. The name ('counterfeiters' rock') comes from a legend of coin forgers who worked in the caves here.
By ferry — it's the second island stop, between Kınalıada and Heybeliada. Small and car-free, it's easily walked.
Very — it's the least crowded of the visitable islands, ideal if you want pine-scented calm, a swim and a slow lunch away from Büyükada's bustle.
Ready for the islands?
Book a guided day trip with a boat cruise, free time on Büyükada and lunch.