Things to Do in Çekmeköy: 3 Places to Visit

Places to Visit in Çekmeköy

i Photo: Yunusemreatalayoglu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Source

1 🌳 Nature

Çekmeköy Forests

Çekmeköy, the district with the largest forest areas on Istanbul's Anatolian side, is covered with oak and beech forests. It has areas suitable for nature walks, horse riding and picnics.

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2 🌳 Nature

Taşdelen Picnic Area

A picnic area in the Taşdelen neighbourhood of Çekmeköy, offering the chance to picnic and barbecue among pine forests.

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3 🌳 Nature

Çekmeköy Fundalık (heathland)

A heathland in the Çekmeköy basin, cited as the largest heathland in the Eastern Mediterranean and Eastern Europe.

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While you are in Çekmeköy, you can also see the highlights of Istanbul province. These places are in other districts.

• Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya-i Kebir Mosque) — Built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian between 532 and 537, this was the largest cathedral in the world for about a thousand years; it was converted into a mosque in 1453 and a museum in 1934, and reopened for worship as a mosque in 2020. With its dome 55 metres high and its Byzantine mosaics, it is one of the turning points in the history of architecture.
• Topkapı Palace — Built by Mehmed the Conqueror at Sarayburnu in the 1460s, the palace was the seat of government and residence of the Ottoman sultans for about 400 years; with its Harem, Treasury, Holy Relics and courtyards, it is now a museum.
• Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) — A six-minaret mosque built for Ahmed I between 1609 and 1616 by the architect Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa; it is also known as the Blue Mosque because of the more than 20,000 İznik tiles decorating its interior.
• Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) — A vast underground cistern built in the 6th century under Justinian and carried on 336 columns; the Medusa heads under two of the columns are its most famous corner.
• Süleymaniye Mosque — Built by Mimar Sinan for Suleiman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557, the mosque stands at the centre of a large complex with madrasas, a hospital, a soup kitchen and tombs; its silhouette on the hill overlooking the Golden Horn is one of the symbols of the city.
• Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) — One of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world, made up of more than 60 streets and thousands of shops that grew up around the bedestens built under Mehmed the Conqueror; carpets, jewellery, copperware and leather goods are sold.

Practical Information for Visiting Çekmeköy

Suggested time

Half a day

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn

Places to visit

3 places

• 🍳

  Village Breakfast (Köy Kahvaltısı)

  A spread-out breakfast served at farmhouses in Çekmeköy's rural areas, offering a rich table of homemade produce.

Culture, Local Products and Economy of Çekmeköy

• 🌲

  Forest Village Culture

  A traditional way of life is still kept up in the villages of Çekmeköy's inner areas.

Local Products

• Forest Honey — Pine and flower honey gathered from the Çekmeköy forests, known for being natural and unadulterated.

Economy

Çekmeköy is one of Istanbul's fast-growing districts. Housing projects, trade and the service sector are its main economic activities.

How to Get to Çekmeköy

Çekmeköy is connected to every part of Istanbul by metro (M5 Üsküdar-Çekmeköy) and bus lines.

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Çekmeköy: Frequently Asked Questions

Continue Your Trip

• 🍽️ What to Eat in Çekmeköy Famous dishes and local products →
• 🗺️ Things to Do in Istanbul The province's 22 best places and all its districts →

Other Districts of Istanbul

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• Arnavutköy 6 places Karaburun Coast, Terkos (Durusu) Gölü and İstanbul Havalimanı Çevresi
• Ataşehir 7 places İstanbul Finans Merkezi, Ülker Sports Arena and İstanbul Finans Merkezi (İFM)
• Avcılar 6 places Küçükçekmece Lake, Avcılar Coast and Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa Avcılar Campus
• Bağcılar 8 places Güneşli Neighbourhood Chapel, Bağcılar Botanical Park and Bağcılar Square
• Bahçelievler 5 places Havuzlu Köşk, Çobançeşme Bridge and Soğanlı Fountain
• Bakırköy 10 places Florya Beach, Atatürk Sea Pavilion and Bakırköy Botanical Park
• Başakşehir 6 places Başakşehir Millet Garden, Atatürk Olympic Stadium and Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium
• Bayrampaşa 5 places Forum İstanbul Mall, SEA LIFE İstanbul Aquarium and Bayrampaşa Aqueducts
• Beşiktaş 8 places Dolmabahçe Palace, Yıldız Palace and Ortaköy Square and Büyük Mecidiye Mosque
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• Beylikdüzü 3 places Beylikdüzü Yaşam Valley, TÜYAP Fuar Merkezi and Ambarlı Harbour
• Beyoğlu 8 places İstiklal Caddesi, Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi) and Taksim Square and Republic Monument
• Büyükçekmece 5 places Büyükçekmece Lake, Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Bridge and Büyükçekmece Waterfront
• Çatalca 5 places İnceğiz Caves and Rock Churches, Çatalca Walls (Anastasios Walls) and Çatalca Forests and Natural Areas
• Esenler 7 places Atışalanı Water Aqueduct, Davutpaşa Barracks and Istanbul Bus Terminal (Büyük İstanbul Otogarı)
• Esenyurt 4 places Cumhuriyet Square, Esenyurt Historic Centre Mosque and Haramidere Bridge
• Eyüpsultan 4 places Eyüp Sultan Mosque and Tomb, Pierre Loti Hill and Eyüp Sultan Mezarlığı
• Fatih 11 places Topkapı Palace, Grand Bazaar (Kapalıçarşı) and Süleymaniye Complex
• Gaziosmanpaşa 3 places Gaziosmanpaşa Parks, Urban Transformation Projects and Taşlıtarla
• Güngören 4 places Güngören Parkları, Güngören Tekstil Bazaar and Haznedar Çiftliği
• Kadıköy 6 places Kadıköy Bazaar, Moda Cape and Kadıköy Çarşısı ve Tarihi Çarşı
• Kağıthane 5 places Kağıthane Stream and Sadabad Ruins, Cendere Valley and Kâğıthane Stream
• Kartal 4 places Aydos Hill, Dragos Hill and Kartal Seafront
• Küçükçekmece 5 places Küçükçekmece Lake, Küçükçekmece Shore and Bathonea Ancient City
• Maltepe 6 places Başıbüyük Forest, Maltepe Coastal Park and Bryas Palace
• Pendik 5 places Pendik Shore, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport and Aydos Forest
• Sancaktepe 3 places Sancaktepe Forests, Sancaktepe Millet Garden and Damatris Summer Palace
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• Silivri 5 places Silivri Castle, Silivri Coast and Piri Mehmed Paşa Mosque
• Sultanbeyli 3 places Sultanbeyli Pond Park, Aydos Forest South Entrance and Aydos Ancient City and Castle
• Sultangazi 5 places Alibey Dam, Cebeci Nature Park and Sultangazi Gölet Park
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• Tuzla 4 places Tuzla Shipyards Area, Tuzla İçmeler and Tuzla Waterfront
• Ümraniye 3 places Çamlıca, Şile Road Nature Areas and Meydan Shopping Mall and Surroundings
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