7 places to visit in the Zeytinburnu district of Istanbul: Kazlıçeşme, Kazlıçeşme Waterfront and Panorama 1453 History Museum. Plan your trip to Zeytinburnu with local food, practical tips and transport information.
Zeytinburnu is a district of Istanbul province with an area of 12 km². It was raised to district status in 1957 by law no. 7033. Located south-east of Thrace, on the slopes of the Çatalca Peninsula facing the Sea of Marmara, the district is an important window of Istanbul opening outwards. It is bordered by Fatih to the east, Eyüpsultan to the north-east, Bayrampaşa to the north, Güngören, Bakırköy to the west, Esenler to the north-west, and the Sea of Marmara to the south.
Geography
Zeytinburnu lies on the Çatalca Peninsula, outside the walls of the historic peninsula enclosed by the Theodosian Walls, on the Marmara coast of Istanbul. Its elevation generally rises from south to north; the southern neighbourhoods have terraces and alluvium, while the northern neighbourhoods have limestone erosion surfaces. Zeytinburnu is at seismic risk: according to KOERI-UDIM, the probability of an earthquake of magnitude M=7.0 within the next 50 years is 60.2%.
History
The name Zeytinburnu is thought to come from the district’s geographical appearance as a cape-like promontory on the Marmara coast of the historic peninsula, and from the olive groves in the area. In the Eastern Roman Empire, the Strongylion or Kyklobion on its shore is recorded in some sources as a harbour and in others as a fortress or tower. The first settlement in Zeytinburnu began in the years following the Turkish takeover of Istanbul, when a community known as the Jerusalem Priests settled around Kazlıçeşme. In a garden promenade called İskender Çelebi, where Ottoman sultans enjoyed spending their time, there was a beautiful garden with pavilions, and in front of the pavilions, waterside mansions embracing the sea. Turkey’s leather industry began in Kazlıçeşme more than 150 years ago.
History and Culture
Zeytinburnu and the Kazlıçeşme area became a region where the Jerusalem Priests grew olives and fruit. Impressive mosaics were uncovered during soundings made in the course of restoration. The church is said to have been rebuilt in 1830.
Highlights
Until 1953 the district was administered as an area belonging to Fatih and Bakırköy districts. The Panorama 1453 History Museum, the first fully panoramic museum in the world, opened in Zeytinburnu in 2009.
Last updated:
