On the hill behind Arnavutköy, the former American College for Girls (established 1871) is now part of the prestigious Robert College. Famous alumni include Halide Edib Adıvar, who wrote about the years she spent here in her 1926 work The Memoir of Halide Edib.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Egyptian Consulate Building

0.59 MILES

Thought by some critics to be the work of Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco, this gorgeous art nouveau mini-palace was built for Emine Hanım, mother of…

2. Bebek Mosque

0.73 MILES

This small mosque in the park to the east of the ferry dock was designed by noted architect Kemaleddin Bey in 1912.

3. Kuleli Military High School

0.99 MILES

Past the small village of Çengelköy on the Asian side of the Strait is the imposing Kuleli Military School, built in 1860 and immortalised in Irfan Orga's…

4. Hatice Sultan Yalı

1.31 MILES

Once home to a daughter of Sultan Murat V, this red-roofed yalı under the Bosphorus Bridge functioned as a school, orphanage and sports centre during the…

5. Fehime Sultan Yalı

1.31 MILES

Once home to a daughter of Sultan Murat V, this huge yalı was built in the 1880s and extensively damaged by fire in 2003. At the time of writing it was…

6. Aşiyan Museum

1.35 MILES

It’s quite a hike up to this small house-museum, named after the Turkish word for ‘bird’s nest’, but the stunning Bosphorus views may well inspire you to…

7. Kont Ostrorog Yalı

1.37 MILES

Built in the 19th century by Count Leon Ostrorog, a Polish advisor to the Ottoman court, this huge red yalı was visited by French novelist Pierre Loti in…

8. Kıbrıslı (Cypriot) Yalı

1.45 MILES

Dating from 1760, this long white yalı on the shore between Kandilli and Kuçüksu was built for Grand Vizier Mehmed İzzet Paşa, who served in this position…