Princes' Islands Tourism Development Center

Kınalıada

Village Center

The focal point of the village, here as in the other three major isles, is the vapur iskelesi, or ferry landing, on the northeast shore. The new iskele for the sea bus is just beside the pier for the regular ferry on its south side.

Kınalıada is the only one of the four larger isles that does not have faytons (horse carriages), and so those who want to explore the uninhabited western side of the island must do so on foot or by bicycle. Local residents claim to prefer the absence of horses which renders the island more sweet-smelling than its sisters. In any case, the island is so small that any destination can be reached within a few minutes’ walk.

The Greek Orthodox Church

The Greek Orthodox church is on Çınarlı Köşk Sokağı, a short way in from the shore road. The church is dedicated to the Genissa Panagia Theotokou, the Birth of the All Holy Mother of God, and was founded in 1886. The church is in the form of a three-aisled basilica with a narthex, entered from a courtyard-garden to its south. In the narthex there is a silver-clad icon depicting the Birth of the Virgin. There are other silver-clad icons on the iconostasis, or icon screen, which separates the nave from the sanctuary. The church celebrates the panigiri, or feast-day, of the Virgin’s birth on 7-8 October.

Surp Krikor Lusavoriç, Armenian Gregorian Church

The Armenian Gregorian church is on Narçiçeğı Sokağı, on the third block in from the shore road. This was the first and only Armenian Gregorian church built on the islands. The church was founded in 1857 and is dedicated to Surp Krikor Lusavoriç, St. Gregory the Illuminator. The present church is the result of a complete reconstruction in 1988.

The altar curtain was taken from the Armenian church of St. Auxent in Trabzon. Behind the altar there is a painting of the Virgin and Christ Child. The altar is flanked by two paintings, the one on the left depicting St. Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Gregorian Church, while the one on the right shows St. Nerses, patriarch of the Gregorian Armenian Church in the mid-fourth century. The side altar on the right is dedicated to St. Gregory, who is shown holding a model of the cathedral that he built at Etchmiadzin in Armenia. On the side walls of the nave there are panels containing attractive stone carvings in the medieval Armenian style. One of the panels commemorates the great Armenian composer Gomidas, who had a summer home on Kınalı during the years 1909-13.

Kınalıada Mosque

The Muslim community worships in Kınalıada Camii, which stands on the shore south of the iskele. The mosque was built in 1956 by the architect Başar Acarlı in a modern abstract style.

Monastery of the Transfiguration

The present monastery of the Transfiguration is near the peak of Manastir Tepesi. This was built on the site of the Byzantine monastery of the same name, of which a number of architectural fragments have been built into the katholikon, or monastic church, while others lie scattered around the grounds. After the Turkish Conquest the monastery began to fall into ruins, but in 1722 a group of wealthy Greek merchants from Chios, who were doing business in Istanbul, financed a major restoration, building a new church on the site of the Byzantine katholikon and adding a side chapel dedicated to St. Paraskevi. The iconostasis and episcopal throne are in finely carved wood. The Byzantine icons from the original katholikon are preserved in the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul. The icons on the iconostasis of the present church are Russian works sent in 1723 to the patriarch Jeremias III from Tsar Peter the Great.

Ali Boran Meydanı

Sirakyan İkiz Evleri: The Sirakyan twin houses, on the seafront beside the iskele, appear in old postcard views of the village; built at the beginning of the twentieth century by Izkon Sirakyan

Alsancak Caddesi

Papazyan Yalısı: Nineteenth century; during the years 1917-20 Dr. Dıran Paşa (Pasha, a term used for high-ranking civil or military officials) Papazyan used it as a hospital for soldiers from the White Russian army of General Wrangel

Fazıl Ahmet Aykaç Caddesi

Taşcıyan Köşkü: Taçcıyan Köşkü built in the late nineteenth century by the banker Sarkis Taşcıyan, owner of the Hotel Proti.

Ağası Evi II: Ağası Evi II built in the late nineteenth century by Ağası Ajderhanyan, chief jeweler of Topkapı Palace; the Armenian composer Gomidas lived here in the years 1909-13; the poet and writer Fazıl Ahmet Aykaç was in residence from 1923-28.

Görey Köşkü: Görey Köşkü now known as the Poyrazlı Köşkü (built by the graphic artist Ihap Hulusi Görey, who did the famous painting, a reproduction of which still appears on the label of the Külüp Rakı bottle, in which he is shown along with the writer Fazıl Ahmet Aykaç, his neighbor on Kınalı; the current owner is Ismet Paşalar.

Beaches

There are pebble beaches all around the island, including two on the shore of the village itself, one on either side of the iskele. There is a swimming pool at the Water Sports Club (Kınalıada Su Sporları Külübü) on the northern shore of the island, as well as at the Teos beach on the southern coast. There are also beaches and seaside restaurants along the coast outside the village, some of which can be reached by boat from the iskele. Behind one of the beaches on the south coast there is an ayazma, or sacred spring, dedicated to St. Fotini.