Arnavutköy

This Bosphorus village on the European shore is renowned for its rows of elegant wooden waterfront mansions, or yalıs, that line the strait with bay windows and carved eaves. Historically home to Greek, Armenian and Jewish communities, it retains churches and a distinctive old-world character amid its narrow lanes. Fish restaurants crowd the quay, and the strong offshore currents have long been linked to local seafood. Sitting between the busier districts of Bebek and Ortaköy, it preserves the timber architecture of the strait especially well.