Chalcedon's Table: From Kadıköy Market to Moda

1. 01
   Local

   Browse the Stalls of Chalcedon

   Start in the old fish market of Kadıköy, in the city once founded as Chalcedon by Megarians in 685 BC. Herodotus recounts that the Persian commander Megabazus said its founders must have been blind for settling here instead of across the water. Walk the market and keep that question in mind for the rest of the day.

   Güneşlibahçe Sokak entrance of Kadıköy Balıkçılar Çarşısı, Istanbul, Turkey
2. 02
   Food

   Choose a Forgotten Anatolian Recipe

   Stop at Çiya Sofrası, opened by Musa Dağdeviren in 1998, where forgotten regional dishes of Anatolia were gathered through field research. In 2005 he and his wife launched the Yemek ve Kültür magazine, and in 2018 he appeared on Netflix's Chef's Table. Pick something unfamiliar and let the meal deepen the story of the market around you.

   Çiya Sofrası, Güneşlibahçe Sokak, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey
3. 03
   History

   Find the Memory of a Council

   Visit the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Euphemia, which carries the name of the saint linked to the Fourth Ecumenical Council held in Chalcedon in AD 451. The original basilica no longer stands, but this church in the middle of the market preserves that memory, having been repaired in 1694 and rebuilt in 1830.

   Aya Efimia Rum Ortodoks Kilisesi, Yasa Caddesi, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey
4. 04
   Local

   Rummage Through the Neighborhood's Memory at Akmar

   Step into Akmar Pasajı, the district's stop for secondhand books, records, fanzines, and old magazines. Kadıköy's memory lives in these shelves, and this is a place where following what you discover often works better than searching for one exact thing.

   Akmar Pasajı entrance, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey
5. 05
   Food

   Sit in the Salon Where Kup Griye Was Born

   Take a seat at Baylan Pastanesi, whose story began in 1923 when Albanian immigrant Filip Lenas opened the pastry shop in Beyoğlu under the name Loryan. It became Baylan in 1934, and the Kadıköy branch opened in 1961. This is the home of the famous Kup Griye, created by his son Harry Lenas and unchanged since 1954: vanilla and caramel ice cream, cream, almonds, and caramel sauce.

   Baylan Pastanesi Kadıköy, Muvakkithane Caddesi, Istanbul, Turkey
6. 06
   Local

   Meet the Migrant Bull

   Pause at the famous Kadıköy Bull in Altıyol, a bronze sculpture by Isidore Bonheur dated 1864. It was among the animal statues commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz at the 1867 Paris Exposition, then moved from Beylerbeyi and Yıldız palaces to Belgrad Forest, later to Harbiye, to the Kadıköy Municipality in 1971, and finally to Altıyol in 1987. It remains the neighborhood's best-known meeting point.

   Kadıköy Boğası, Altıyol, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey
7. 07
   Photography

   Make Your Decision at Moda Pier

   Finish at Moda Pier, designed by Vedat Tek in 1916–1917 in a neoclassical style. It also served as a restaurant and casino in earlier years, and in 2022 reopened as a library and book café over the water. Its shelves hold around seven thousand books, while the terrace looks out toward the Historic Peninsula across the sea. This is the place to open what you found in Akmar and decide whether Chalcedon's founders were blind—or simply early.

   Moda İskelesi, Kadıköy, Istanbul, Turkey

Check opening hours before you go. Hours, access conditions and weather can change.