page_title: Eminönü
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Eminönü / History
caption_attribution_description: English: Topographical map of Constantinople during the Byzantine period. Main map source: R. Janin, Constantinople Byzantine. Developpement urbain et repertoire topographique. Road network and some other details based on Dumbarton Oaks Papers 54; data on many churches, especially unidentified ones, taken from the University of New York's The Byzantine Churches of Istanbul project. Other published maps and accounts of the city have been used for corroboration. Български: Топографска карта на Константинопол (Цариград) през византийския период. Източник: R. Janin, Constantinople Byzantine. Developpement urbain et repertoire topographique. Пътната мрежа и някои други детайли се основават на Dumbarton Oaks Papers 54 и други публикувани източници. Deutsch: Topografische Karte Konstantinopels während des byzantinischen Zeitraums. Quelle: R. Janin, Constantinople Byzantine. Developpement urbain et repertoire topographique. Straßennetz und andere Einzelheiten basiert auf Dumbarton Oaks Papers 54. Kirchen, insb. nicht identifizierte und ausgegrabene Bauten sind aus dem The Byzantine Churches of Istanbul entnommen. Andere herausgegebenen Quellen wurden behilfsmäßig gebraucht. Ελληνικά: Τοπογραφικός χάρτης Κωνσταντινουπόλεως κατά τη Βυζαντινή περίοδο. Βασική πηγή χάρτη: R. Janin, Constantinople Byzantine. Developpement urbain et repertoire topographique. Το οδικό δίκτυο και διάφορες άλλες λεπτομέρειες με βάση το Dumbarton Oaks Papers 54. Πληροφορίες για τις εκκλησίες, ιδιαίτερα τις μη ταυτοποιημένες, από την ιστοσελίδα The Byzantine Churches of Istanbul του Πανεπιστημίου της Νέας Υόρκης. Although I've striven to make this map as complete and correct as possible, there may be some errors or omissions. Any corrections &amp; suggestions are welcome.
context_page_description: Eminönü is a former district of Istanbul in Turkey, currently a quarter within the Fatih district, which is the capital district of Istanbul and of Istanbul Province. This is the heart of the walled city of Constantine, the focus of a history of incredible richness. Eminönü covers roughly the area on which the ancient city of Byzantium was built. The Galata Bridge crosses the Golden Horn and connects Karaköy at north with Eminönü at south. Eminönü is located at the point where the Golden Horn connects with the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, near the Sea of Marmara. Up on the hill stands Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. It was a part of the Fatih district until 1928, which covered the whole peninsular area within the Roman city walls - that area which was formerly the Byzantine capital Constantinople. Since the resident population of Eminönü is low today, it rejoined the capital district Fatih in 2009.
context_section_description: The Golden Horn was a natural port, particularly the Eminönü/Sirkeci shore, which being on a peninsula was also eminently defensible. It was this location that led to the foundation of Byzantium, and from here that the city grew, with the oldest neighborhoods being the port districts along the Golden Horn. In the 12th century, the Byzantine port was also occupied by merchants from Venice, Amalfi, Genoa and Pisa, who eventually acquired their own wharfs and waterfront districts.
  In the Byzantine period, the modern area of Eminönü included the districts of Neórion (after the harbor located there), Akrópolis, Kynégion, Arcadianae/Arkadianaí, ta Hormísdou, Amantíou, Caenopolis/Kainópolis ("New City"), ta Kanikleíou, ta Narsoú, ta Kaisaríou, Artopoleía (the "bakeries"), Argyroprateía (the "silver vendors"), Chalkoprateía (the "bronze vendors"), ta Olybríou, Constantinianae/Konstantinianaí, ta Amastrianón, Eugeníou, Pérama ("Crossing", the place where the ferry to Galata sailed), Zeúgma, Stauríon, Vlánga, Heptáskalon.
  The Golden Horn was still a thriving port in Ottoman times, occupied by importers, warehousemen, sailors and traders of every description, the centre of trade in the city, a labyrinth of narrow streets, workshops and markets leading uphill to Topkapı Palace, the Ottoman capital.
  The name of the quarter, Eminönü, reflects its place in history. Translated from Turkish to English it roughly means 'in front of justice'. Emin meaning 'justice', önü meaning 'in front of'. The name most probably came from the Ottoman courts and customs houses on the docks; "Emin" was the title of an Ottoman customs official.
  The nature of the place was changed by the industrial age; the Galata Bridge was built across the Golden Horn; steamships arrived, then electricity, then the railway and the Istanbul terminal of the Orient Express was naturally sited at Sirkeci Station. The sea walls still surrounded the city, and the sea gates of the port of Eminönü were the point of entry for goods, and for people. Eminönü was part of the Fatih district until 1928. It then became independent until 2009, when it was incorporated again within Fatih.
  In the wake of the huge railway station, other grand stone buildings were also built in the late Ottoman period. Among these were the Main Post Office and some commercial buildings like Istanbul 4th Vakıf Han. In the early days of the Republic of Turkey, Eminönü was renovated extensively; the big square was opened up in front of Yeni Mosque by clearing out the tollbooths at the end of the Galata Bridge; the Spice bazaar was restored; the fish market was cleared off the shore of the Golden Horn and a road opened up to the new bridge at Unkapanı.
  By the 1950s, the area was continuously clogged up with traffic, which was eased somewhat by the construction of the large coastal road around the point and all the way out to Istanbul airport.
caption: Map of the city in the Byzantine period
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