“Eagle”
Old names: Kartalimen, Kartalimin
On the Asian shore of the Sea of Marmara, the İstanbul suburb of Kartal sits between Maltepe and Pendik, and you’re unlikely to need to visit it unless you have a friend there or the good fortune to have landed an invitation to visit Sedef Adası, a private island in the Princes Islands archipelago. If you do happen to have time on your hands it’s perhaps worth knowing that there the 19th-century Surp Nişan Armenian church is within walking distance of the station although you are unlikely to be able to see inside it. Near it the Ahmet Şimşek College has a number of mosaic panels on its facade (as does the adjoining sports stadium) which look worthy of protection although I have not found any information about them.
Also near the station is a statue of the poet, satirist and ney player, Neyzen Tevfik Kolaylı (1879-1953).
Also worth a quick look is the Muhammed Maarifi Cami which was the base for the Rifai Sufi order founded by Muhammed Maarifi in 1818. Damaged by the 1894 earthquake and then closed down by Atatürk in 1925, the building has slowly recovered until in 1980 it became a conventional mosque with Maarifi’s tomb preserved in it.
Transport info
Kartal has stations on both the Marmaray and the Metro from Kadıköy to Sabiha Gökçen airport.
Private boats to Sedef Adası leave from the ferry terminal near the station but are timetabled and require you to have an invitation before boarding.
Nearby areas
