BURGAZADA – SAIL AWAY TO FORGET THE CITY FOR A DAY

The name Prince’s Islands originates from their use as imperia prisons, where royalty or troublesome, high-ranking subjects of the Ottoman Empire were exiled in times past.

During the Byzantine Era, when Constantinople was protected by its great walls, the Prince’s Islands were left exposed and were ravaged during enemy sieges. Its serene little village contains a mosque, church and synagogue, a historic reminder of the multi-ethnic population of the pre-Republic era when Muslims, Jews, Christians and people of many races lived side-by-side under the protection of the sultan.

Burgaz/Antigoni owes its name to Antigonus I Monophtalmus (one-eyed), a general of Alexander the Great and the founder of a personal kingdom after Alexander's death. The Turkish name is a reference to the tower of a monastery which stood for centuries on a hill of the island: Burgaz is a Turkish word derived from Greek pyrgo which means tower.

Burgazada is the third largest of the Prince’s Islands and, like the others, devoid of motorized traffic. It is is quieter than both Büyükada and Heybeli. The lack of visitors is the island's main attraction: unlike Büyükada, which is always crowded with visitors, on Burgaz you interact mostly with locals. Today, it's famous for the house of Sait Faik Abasiyanik, a Turkish story writer from the beginning of 20th century, who lived here. It is one of the most popular corners of Istanbul with its climate, picturesque look with its white houses, shores, pine trees and restored elegant pavilions.