“Selim’s Place”
As you approach Kadıköy on the Asian side of İstanbul by ferry from the European side you will see to the right on the horizon a huge building with corner towers that serves as the barracks of the Turkish First Army. The Selimiye Barracks was originally built on a much smaller scale for Sultan Selim III in 1799 as he planned a new army for the city but had to be rebuilt in 1825 by Sultan Mahmud II after a fire started by rebel Janissaries in 1812 destroyed the earlier structure. The original building only had one wing but during the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid Krikor Balyan added three more wings to create a central parade ground.
For some people it will be worth jumping through the hoops to organise a visit to the Florence Nightingale Museum (closed Saturdays and Sundays, admission free), housed in one of the towers. It was here that the Lady of the Lamp set up a hospital to nurse those wounded in the Crimean War of 1853-56, introducing new rules for hygiene that are credited with having saved many lives. Many of those who didn’t survive are buried nearby in the Crimean War Cemetery behind Haydarpaşa station.
How interesting you will find the museum probably depends on how fascinated you are by Florence Nightingale whose life features on some British school syllabi. For my money the museum is too sanitised to give much sense of what the hospital would really have been like when it was full of the wounded and dying. Still, if you’d like to visit, send a fax two days ahead of the date you want to do so to 0216-343 7310 giving your passport details and a phone number that can be used to contact you with an appointment (usually 11am). However, it is not entirely clear whether the museum is still operating post-Covid.
Otherwise you might like to take a look at the beautiful Selimiye Cami which was designed for Sultan Selim III in 1803-04 and stands across the road from the barracks in a quiet little enclave of town that was Istanbul’s first planned mahalle (neighbourhood)., with factories, shops and a printing press. The plane-tree-shaded courtyard is blissful in high summer.
Eating
The 19th-century hamam near the Selimiye Cami, which was originally used both by soldiers from the barracks and worshippers at the mosque, has been turned into a Nev Mekan, one of a string of enterprises on the Asian shore that combine library and dining facilities inside restored historic buildings. The food and drink is reasonably priced although hardly gourmet. No alcohol is served. It’s on Şerif Kuyusu Sokak. Tel: 0216-531 3000.
Transport info
The easiest way to get to the Barracks is to take the car ferry from Sirkeci to Harem and then walk along the shore towards Kadıköy. To get to the Selimiye Cami, strike uphill from the old bus terminal.
Nearby areas
