Princess Islands in Turkey “Red Islands”
The exile of the princes of Byzantium, where they shed their last tears and breathed their last Ottoman Empire aristocrat’s resort and the temple of beauty and picturesque nature is the perfect pilgrimage to it for those looking for relaxation and a luxurious life
Princess Islands in Marmara, Istanbul.
We can say that the Princess Islands are an archipelago in the Sea of Marmara consisting of nine islands with a combined area of 15.85 square kilometers, with the largest of them in the middle, the island of “Büyükada”, meaning the Big Island.
As for the origin of naming the islands by this name, it goes back to some accounts belonging to the Byzantine era, where it is said that at that time, the deposed princes and kings were exiled to them or were executed there by the emperors.
As for the reason for calling them the Red Islands, that is because in the past, the color of red was mostly on their features, due to the presence of iron and copper mines scattered throughout.
In the era of the Ottoman Empire, summer resorts were built by the wealthy Ottoman families, in addition to the spread of beautiful Victorian villas there, which were built by Greek and Armenian merchants and still exist to this day.
In addition to its touristic importance, the Princess Islands are of historical importance, as they include a group of edifices and buildings dating back to different eras and the multiple civilizations that passed through Constantinople in general.
Including the churches of “Aya Yorgi” and the church of “Agios Demetrius” dating back to the sixth century AD
It also has the Hamidia Mosque, which was built by Sultan Abdul Hamid II.
On one of its islands, there is the Greek Orthodox Academy, and next to it is the “Halki Palace” hotel, which was built with it for parents of students to live in, between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
It also contains the homes of important contemporary figures, which have been turned into museums, such as the house of “Inonu”, the second president of Turkey as for the smallest island, “Kinali”, it contains the monastery “Christos”, which was built by the Byzantine Emperor “Romanus” during his exile and was buried inside it.
Cars are not allowed on the islands as bicycles and horse carriages are the only modes of transport available, which also gives them the feel of a prince.
The Princes Islands are distinguished by their wonderful location in the Sea of Marmara and their picturesque nature. There are also summer houses that can be rented by tourists and the public.
The islands are in the middle of the Marmara Sea, southeast of Istanbul, and can be reached by ships that depart from different stations distributed on both sides of the Asian and European city.
