The islands are in the Sea of Marmara. They, a few kilometers from the Bostancı shore in Asian side and twenty kilometers from the historic peninsula. We recommend the visitors, to visit these islands, especially in summer. These archipelagos are comprised of nine islands and two smaller rocky isles. They are called Adalar, but the foreigners call them the Crimson Islands or Princes Islands, In the ancient period they were called Demonesoi. that is, the Islands of the People. In the Byzantine period they were called the Papadanisia (the Islands of the Priests). In the Byzantine period the punished princes, nobles, priests and queens were exiled to these islands.
After the purchase of the ferries during the Ottoman period, the population of the islands increased rapidly. Generally Armenian and Greek minorities live here. The population was 1.200 in the iy,h century, 12.000 in the 20th century, which rose to 20.000 today. This number reaches to 100.000 together with the daily visitors coming here in the summer season.
We may go to the islands with the ferries from the Sirkeci or Bostancı piers. Their names and surface areas are as follows respectively:
Kınalıada (Proti), 1.3 km2; Burgazada (AntigonO, 1.3 km2; Kaşık Island (Pidai. 0,006 km2; Heybeliada (Chalki) 2,4 km2; Büyükada (Prinkipo), 5. 36 km2; Sedef Island (Antherovitos or Terebintos), 0.01 km2; Sivriada (Oksia), 0.03 km2; Yassiacla (Plati) 0.05 km2 and Tavşan Adası (Niadri or Niaclros), (I.Oí km2. Of these, Sivriada and Tavşan Island are not inhabited. Kaşık Island is private property' and Yassiada is used as a school. The others are open to settlement. The motorized vehicles are restricted apart from the municipality vehicles. The transportation is carried out with bicycles and phaetons only. Those who get bored of visiting historical places and want some fresh air and enjoy the sun and the sea may visit Ileybeliada or Büyük Ada and have a phaeton ride, take a swim and have some fish.
There are the St. Yorgi Church in Büyükada. the Hristos Monastery in Kinalıada. the Priest School in Heybeliada. the Johannes Prodromos Church and the Sait Faik Museum in Burgazada are interesting places worth seeing. (s4)

The Princess Islands are a popular summer retreat in the Sea of Marmara just off the Asian coast of the city near Bostancı. Numerous ferry services run daily with a journey time of thirty minutes to an hour. Many wealthy Stambolus prefer to live on these islands during the summer and commute to work by ierry. The islands each have different ethnic assosiations, particularly Armenian and Jewish. In
addition there are famous Orthodox churches, a monastery, naval training school, swimming clubs and a plethora of restaurants. The islands are essentially large forested parks with beaches and towns. Cars are forbidden and the preferred mode of transport is by-phaeton, or horse drawn buggy. The islands are also notable for their preserved architectural heritage since wooden houses brandishing ornate decorative wood working skills still prevail.
They have been known as the Princes' Islands since Byzantine times when they were used for leisure as well as the exile of Byzantine Princess.
Of the nine islands only four are inhabited, Kınalı, Burgaz, Heybeli and the largest Büyük Ada.

Büyük Ada
Populated mainly in the northern part, there are gentle footpath winding through the Red Pine forests. Or enjoy being driven in a fayton, the Turkish version of a phaeton. There is a large monastery and interesting eating places to explore.
Heybeli
This island is the second largest of the group. On one of the hills there is and old Greek Orthodox Seminary and there is a Naval Academy for Turkish cadets on the shore.
Old wooden villas, beautiful gardens, the phaetons and narrow winding lanes give a feeling of a bygone era.
Burgaz
Until recently known as Antigoni by foreigners. It's quiet and serene.
The writer Hüseyin Rahmi Gürpınar lived and wrote on Burgaz and his house has now been turned into a museum. (s2)

The islands in the Marmara closest to the Bosphorus were known in Byzantine times as the Princes' Islands, because princes and Emperors were often blinded and sent t into exile on those islands. Monks also used to go there for retreat, and thus they were also called "Papadonisia", or Priests' Islands.
The islands remained somewhat remote in the past because of the transport problem but technological developments and the use of fast boat-shave made the islands more accessible and more popular. Today the proportion of non-Muslims in the population of the islands is quite high but, in the 19th century, the first inhabitants to settle here were artists and intellectuals. A process of afforestation was begun at the end of the century.
Although the use of modern, much Easter boats has made the Princes' Islands much more easily accessible, it is still impossible to see all the islands in one day. If you did, you would definitely be the first person ever to have succeeded in doing so. The nearest island ıs Kınalı, which is only an hour's sail from the city and it may have been on account of its proximity that it was to this island that most of the exiles from Byzantium were sent, the most famous of them being Diogenes.
Kınalı is a rather bare and barren island with very little of interest to offer. Although hedged in by the numerous concrete buildings, the Sirakyan houses beside the landing stage are nevertheless very attractive. The most interesting public building on the island is the modem mosque on the shore The Muslims prefer traditional styles in their mosques. and tend to avoid modernity in their religious buildings. If ii is a "must", dien the usual tendency is to locate it in some remote spoit-nn the islands for instance.
Island    The Armenian population on the island is quite high, but the Church of Surp Kirkor Lusarovic is die only Armenian church on the island. There is also the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Hristos on the hill known as Monastery Hill
Burgaz, the second island, is more fertile and more richly wooded than Kinali. There are diree Greek Orthodox Churches: Haghios Ioannis, Hagia Yorgi and the church of the Hristos monastery.. On the eastern side of the island there is the Catholic Church of St. George. On the island another interesting building is the house nine the home of Sait Faik, one of the most famous of modem Turkish wines, wbu h has been turned into a museum.
There are also a numbei of interesting wooden huusrs on the shore. One of these is the old wooden building of die Antigone, which has been restored to its original form Along the slime there are also several attractive restaurants you may care to visit.
The small, uninhabited island directly opposite burgaz is the Kaşık (Spoon) Island.

Heybeliada, the third of the islands, is much largei ;ind has a richer vegetation. There are four hills. The Turkish Naval School was originally built as a Greek School of Commerce. You can make your way through the school buildings to the Sanatorium, which is located near the Cam Limanı Liman: (Pines Harbour). The area is now used by die Turkish Maval Forces but you can visit two historical sites in the vicinity: The first of these is the Byzantine Church of Kamonatis attributed to Maria Comnena, which was built before the Conquest and is the only Byzantine church e on the islands to have survived . As it is situated in a military zone it is closed to public but you can obtain permission from the school. The Monastery of Haghia Yorgi and the Monaster)' of Tarik-i Dünya are also to be found here. The second item of interest at the site is a gravestone with an inscription and die Barton coat of arms. Edward Barton was the second Ambassador sent to the Ottoman court by Queen Elizabeth. He is known to have stayed in Tophane for a while but following complaints made by his neighbours, who accused him of disturbing the peace of the surrounding area with his noisy parties at night, was sent off to the island.
On the other side of the quay there is the market and a number of mey-hanes. You will also find the Greek church of Haghia Nicholas, die wooden Ilyasko  Yalı and Hulusi Bey Köşk. If you climb up the
Değirmen Hill behind you will see the remains of the mill (değirmeni that has given the hill its name.

On the other hill you will find the old Byzantine Monastery Haghias Trias and the Theological Seminary of the Greek Orthodox Church. On Heybeliada you will also find the Beth Yaakov Synagogue, a synagogue built m the 1940s. Büyükada is the last and the largest of the islands. Many also regard it as the most beautiful. It thus has a large number of attractive summer residences, some of which are attractive in appearance but of no particular architectural interest.

The island is divided into two regions: Nizam and Maden. The road on the right hand side of the quay leads you to Nizam, die one on the left to Maden. Nizam starts from the Anadolu Club, which was originally built as a Yachting Club by the British in the 19th century. After the proclamation of the Republic the Yachting Club was confiscated by the Turkish government and turned into a branch of the Anadolu Club in Ankara, whose members are all members of die Turkish parliament. The area contains some interesting buildings, such as die Azaryan Kqsk, the Ilyasko Köşk, the Con Pasha Köşk and the Çavuşoğlu Köşk. Long after the days of the Byzantine exiles, Trotsky was sent as an exile to the island, where he stayed for some time in the Ilyasko Köşk.
Of the two high hills on the island the one closer to the quav J? known as the Hnstos Hill. There is a Gieek Orphanage among die pine trees there. The building is quite dilapidated and rather resembles an orphan itself, !t is actually one of die buildings designed by the architect Vallaury, who had originally intended it as a hotel but permission was not granted and die building was opened as an orphanage.
On the Maden side there are two interesting buildings: the Kalvokeresis and Meziki Mansions. The government building on the square was once the home of die Hacopulo family, while the municipal building was the home of Ismail Canbolat, a member of the Young Turks movement and also a member of the Union and Progress Party (Ittihat ve Terakki Cemiyeti).
In the valley between the two hills, on the Maden side, you will find the Greek Church and Monastery of Haghia Nicholas. The road near the Luna Park Cafe leads you to Haghia Yorgi, which consists of a monastery, a small, modern church and an old graveyard.
One of die most popular attractions on Biiyukada consists of the tours by phaeton. There are two types of tour: the Short Tour and the Long Tour. The former goes around the Nizam district as far as Luna Park and from there around Maden back to the centre. The latter includes the uninhabited second hill as well. If you ever visit Biiyiikada, you should definitely try one of them.