Until recently Harem, between Üsküdar and Kadıköy, was home to the main terminal for bus services from the Asian side of the city. These days although you can still pick up a bus there, far fewer companies are using it since many passengers prefer to board the bus at outlying terminals such as Düdüllü amd Gebze.
This is a great shame since it used to be possible to arrive at Harem from Anatolia and switch straight to the car ferry across to Sirkeci, thereby cutting out travelling time within the city and making it possible to cruise into the centre of town in almost 19th-century style. To do this now you will almost certainly have to get out at one of the other local terminals and take a servis bus to Harem, Üsküdar or Kadıköy. You may not feel that the additional change of transport is worth it.
Harem is within walking distance of the great Selimiye Barracks that are such a feature of the Asian skyline. It’s also within short dolmuş distance of Üsküdar.
Local minibus services to nearby places such as Gebze and Kocaeli/İzmit still leave from the Harem Otogar. It remains to be seen whether that will continue to be the case.
Transport info
Harem is easily accessible by car and passenger ferry from Sirkeci, near Eminönü, which is itself accessible by tram from Sultanahmet and by funicular and tram from Taksim.
Dolmuşes to Üsküdar and its ferry terminals can be picked up across the busy main road from Harem Otogar.
