 Ortakoy is one of the most vivid districts of the Bosphorus and is an obvious indicator of the tolerance for other religions. Because a mosque, a synagogue and a Greek Orthodox church share the same district. The Byzantines used to call this area 'Arkheion'. The Turks began to settle in this area only after the 161'1 century-. In the early 1990"s the Ortakoy Square was reorganized and became a popular place especially for the younger people and students. The Ortakoy Mosque is along the coast. It was constructed by Nikogos Balyan, between 1854 - 1855 with the order of Sultan Abdulmecid Khan. When the sultans were living in the Beylerbeyi Palace, they used to sail here with the sultanate caiques for prayer. In the streets at back of the mosque are the Ayios Fokas Church built in 1856 and the Etz Ahayim Synagogue. Near the mosque is the Esma Sultan Villa, built in 1875 with the order of Abdulaziz for his daughter. (s4)
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