Skip to content
Mixroutes
Büyükçekmece
District and municipality in Istanbul, Turkey

Büyükçekmece

Büyükçekmece, historically Athyras, is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey.

Plan a trip to Büyükçekmece→From Pendik, Istanbul

Its area is 173 km2, and its population is 277,181 (2022). It is on the Sea of Marmara coast of the European side, west of the city. It is largely an industrial area. The mayor is Hasan Akgün (CHP).

Get in

Getting to Büyükçekmece

These suburbs are the main ports of entry into the city, as the major airport, the main bus station (otogar) and (for the time being) the European mainline railway terminus are all here. By car you cross this district on the way to central Istanbul from Gallipoli, Bulgaria or Greece. Local transport radiates out from city centre, east-west. There are some north-south links near the centre, but not further out.

  1. 01
    Halkalı Railway Station

    The terminus for overnight trains from Bucharest and Sofia.

  2. 02
    Bakırköy

    A smaller station, slightly closer to the city centre.

  3. 03
    Esenler Bus Terminal

    Buses from Europe, Thrace and Gallipoli terminate here.

  4. 04
    Bakırköy
See

Worth seeing

  1. 01
    Halkalı Square
  2. 02
    Yeşilköy
  3. 03
    Sea Life Istanbul
  4. 04
    Mehmet Arsay Automobile Museum

    Atatürk, 1.

  5. 05
    Pelit Chocolate Museum

    No:19, Esenyurt ( Mehmet Zahit Kotku Camii, 200 m),.

  6. 06
    Mor Ephrem Syriac Orthodox Church
Do

Things to do

  1. 01
    Kumburgaz

    A charming coastal neighborhood, known for its sandy beaches, vibrant summer atmosphere, and stunning views.

  2. 02
    Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center

    Eski, Cumhuriyet, Hadımköy Yolu Cd 9/1, Büyükçekmece.

  3. 03
    Atatürk Olympic Stadium

    Ziya Gökalp No:5, Başakşehir.

  4. 04
    Veliefendi Hippodrom

    Forest hikes and cycling – The best areas are in Çilingoz Nature Reserve.

Eat

Where to eat

Options like döner and çiğ köfte are found mostly inland whilst boiled corn or fish & bread carts are concentrated on the shoreline. There is a string of places around the harbour/marina of all the resorts along the Marmara coast. The main concentrations are in Yeşilköy/Bakırköy south of the old airport, Büyükçekmece both sides of the lagoon, and away west to Silivri.

  1. 01
    Beyti

    Orman Sk 8, Florya (300 m north of Florya metro station (no trains)), fax: +90 212 663 29 95, beyti@beyti.com.

  2. 02
    Yüksel Balık Lokantası

    Liman Sk 3, Yeşilköy (Just west of ferry pier),.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Wikimedia Commons (see Commons), Wikimedia Commons.