Kınalıada is the smallest, smartest, and most residential of the Prince’s Islands and is often overlooked by day trippers heading to the bigger, greener islands beyond. But this is a shame, for its diminutive stature belies some fascinating history, architecture, and great beaches. Kınalıada means “Henna Island” in Turkish, due to its red, iron and copper-rich soil, which once made it a mining town. But the island you see today could not be further from its industrial past, sporting quaint seaside summer houses, bougie restaurants, and a monastery that witnessed some of the most dramatic moments in Byzantine history. The whole island can be seen in a couple of hours or incorporated into a day trip to any of the other islands and can be reached in half the time it takes to get to Büyükada. Please watch the rest of our video! Let us know what you think, if there is anywhere else you want us to cover, and if you need help planning a trip or move to Turkey, let us know in the comments.
HISTORY OF KINALIADA
The Byzantine name for Kınalıada was Proti, which means “First”. It made an excellent location for monks seeking solitude and reflection, but their monasteries quickly found a dual use as a convenient place to exile disgraced former emperors.
When Emperor Leo IV died in 780, his wife Irene of Athens became the first woman to sit on the Byzantine throne. This was not ok with the less-woke elements of the court, who exiled Irene first to the Monastery of Christ on Kınalıada, and then to Büyükada, and proclaimed her son emperor. However, she later reclaimed the throne, and gouged out her son’s eyes, a traditional Roman punishment for disloyalty. Gotta keep those kids in line.
In 920, former admiral Romanos Lekapenos bullied his son-in-law and emperor Constantine VII to crown him “Senior Emperor”, effectively usurping the Byzantine throne. When he refused to appoint either of his two sons as successors, they formed an army, arrested their father, and exiled him to the Monastery of Christ on Kınalıada in 944. In the ensuing chaos, Constantine had both the sons arrested, stripped of their titles, and exiled to the very same monastery they had just sent their father to. They were spared the eye gouging but instead had to live out their days together in perpetual awkwardness.
Romanos IV Diogenes was a dashing officer who became emperor in 1068 and was determined to make Byzantium great again by pushing back the Seljuk Turks in the East. After losing the Battle of Manzikert (known to the Turks as Malazgirt) a rival emperor thought it best to gauge his eyes out and exile him to… the Monastery of Christ on Kınalıada, where he died. To learn more about Romanus’ incredible story, check out our Battle of Malazgirt video.
Just a few decades after the Ottoman conquest, Armenians started moving to Istanbul, many of them settling in Kınalıada. Until the late 1800s, the island was almost completely Armenian, and it remains one the most ethnically Armenian neighborhoods in Istanbul today.
SIGHTS AND ACTIVITIES OF KINALIDADA
The most important historical site on the island is the Monastery of Christ (also known as the Monastery of the Transfiguration) at the top of the hill. The monastery was first built around the tomb of Byzantine Emperor Leo V ‘the Armenian’ (775-820). Later, Romanos I Lekapenos (??-948), Emperor Nike-phoros III Botan-eiates (1002-1081), and Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (1030-1072) lived and were buried here, but the location of their graves is unknown. The monastery has been rebuilt several times, but most of what can be seen today dates to 1722.
Kınalıada Mosque, is a rare example of modern Turkish mosque architecture, built in 1964 to evoke the shape of a boat. It’s just as fun on the inside.
The Armenian Church of Krikor Lusavoriç was founded in 1857 and dedicated to St. Gregory the Illuminator, but was largely rebuilt in 1988.
Between 1909 and 1913, the house at 23 Fazil Ahmet Aykac Caddesi was home to Soghomon Soghomonian, better known as Komidas, an Armenian priest, composer, and a father of ethnomusicology.
Kınalıada is surrounded by the cleanest and least crowded beaches in the archipelago. For chilled drinks and loungers, take a stroll to Ulker Plaji.
TRANSPORTATION TO/FROM KINALIADA
Kınalıada is so small that you can walk anywhere you need to go, but renting a bike is a good option.
It will take you a couple of hours to see the whole island on foot.
Ferries run between around 7 am and 11 pm. The journey will cost you about $2 each way and will take between 45 and 90 minutes, depending on where you’re traveling from. Kabataş ferry terminal on the European side and Kadıköy on the Asian side have the most regular and late-running services to all the islands. To learn about Kınalıada’s neighboring islands, check out the rest of our series.
EATING AND DRINKING IN KINALIADA
For some class, excellent sea views, great food, and a beautiful beach included, head to Teos, a top-rated restaurant that also serves as the best wedding and event venue on all the Prince’s Islands.
For a more down-to-earth eating experience, Sercan’in Yeri, just past Teos, will serve up booze and BBQed awesomeness right on the beach.
ACCOMMODATION IN KINALIADA
There are only a couple of places to stay on Kınalıada, and your choice is between the fancy Noya Kösk Otel and the budget Kınalı Butik Otel.
Thanks for watching! If you have any suggestions, or if you need help moving to or traveling in Turkey, let us know in the comments. We have also created a set of ESL exercises and activities in case you want to use this video to teach or learn English.
Have you been to Kınalıada? Do you agree with our recommendations or is there anything we should change? And are there any other places you would like us to cover? Let us know in the comments and thanks for watching.
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For ESL instructors, we’ve also shared comprehension, vocabulary, and discussions questions, as well as a crossword puzzle.
