Fenerbahçe, Kadıköy

The name Fenerbahçe means "lighthouse garden" in Turkish (from fener, meaning "lighthouse," and bahçe, meaning "garden"), referring to the historic Fenerbahçe Lighthouse located in Fenerbahçe.^[3]

In pre-Byzantine times, the area was known as Hieria (Ίερεία), named for a sanctuary of Hera in the area. (Alternate explanations for the name include "grave" (ήρίον), "air" (άήρ), and "religious ceremony" or "religious festival."^[4][5])

Stephanus of Byzantium calls the area Euron or Eurion.^[6] In the Middle Ages, the area was called Heraion or Hereion.^[7] Gyllius calls the area Euron and Cape of Ioannes Kalamote.^[8] In early Ottoman times, the area was called Bağçe-i Fener.^[9] Patriarch Constantius I wrote that the area's name was Phanaraki, but that Turks called it Fener Baxessi.^[10]

One of the ports of ancient Chalcedon was in Kalamış.^[11] Emperor Justinian I built a palace with a harbor here, porticoes for a forum, a public bath, and churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Procopius the Martyr, and a St. Helios the Thesbiste. Emperor Heraclius later also resided here.^[12][13] The Council of Hieria was convened here by Constantine V in 754 to promote the emperor’s iconoclasm.^[14] Basil I restored the imperial palace, resided here, and built a chapel dedicated to Elijah. Constantine Porphyrogenitus rebuilt the palace, which remained until at least 1203.^[15][16]

In the 16th century, the Ottomans began building in the area, converting the grounds of the Byzantine palace into an imperial garden, much work being done by the architect Sinan. A small imperial mosque was built during the reign of Selim I. A palace was also built including a main building (kasır), a smaller building, outbuildings, a tower, and a small mosque.^[17]

In 1562, Sultan Süleyman gave permission for Kapıağası Yakup Ağa to construct a lighthouse (fânûs) here. Its lamp burned olive oil. In 1849, the tower was rebuilt taller. In 1856, a more modern lighthouse was built.^[18][19] In the 18th century, Fenerbahçe was known as a place of punishment (infaz) and was the port from which those sentenced to exile were sent off.^[20] In the mid-19th century, the road connecting the area to Kadıköy narrow and in very poor condition. The main inhabitants were a few Greek and Armenian fishing families.^[21]

In the 1870s, the population of the neighborhood was small, consisting mostly of Ottoman minorities and foreigners, and most of the land belonged to four foreign families: the French Jewish Levantine Oppenheim family, the Swiss Levantine Semadeni family, the Swiss-French Levantine Cingria family, and the German Müller family. People in the social circles of these families and later wealthy Levantines, Greeks, and Armenians built houses on these lands.^[22][23]

In 1873, a railway branch line was opened from Feneryolu to Fenerbahçe. Train service continued till 1928. The station building was demolished in 1936.^[24]

The neighborhood gave its name to Fenerbahçe S.K., the professional sports club based in the area.^[25] The home stadium of the club, Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, stands just outside the Fenerbahçe neighborhood.^[26]

The Fenerbahçe Education, Culture, and Health Foundation's Fenerbahçe University is located in the Ataşehir district of Istanbul.^[27]

• Fenerbahçe Lighthouse
• Kalamış