Haydarpaşa Station (Haydarpaşa Garı) stands on the Sea of Marmara, north of Kadıköy, on the Asian side. Built from 1906 to 1908 by the German architects Otto Ritter and Helmuth Cuno, with a stone façade, turrets and a slate roof, it was the terminus of the lines to Anatolia and the Middle East, including the railway towards Baghdad. Its foundations rest on more than a thousand piles driven into the sea. Check before you come: no train serves it any more, since 2012-2013 and the building of Marmaray, and the building, hit by a fire in November 2010, is under restoration. The interior cannot be visited. In September 2026, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism was aiming to open a first part of the site in 2027, with a project for an archaeopark, a museum and a cultural centre.
Highlights
The façade on the sea
The station is best photographed from opposite, from the Kadıköy or Karaköy ferry, or from the seafront promenade. The turrets, gables and great façade dominate the bay, with the old city in the background.
The surroundings
The immediate surroundings are under works and access may be restricted; ask on the spot. From the seaside path, the side façade remains visible.
The excavations
Excavations carried out since 2018 on the tracks have uncovered ancient remains. To our knowledge they are not open to the public.
Practical info
Tips
No entry is charged to our knowledge, since the building is not open. The best way to see it is to combine a ferry crossing with a walk towards Kadıköy: see the guide to Kadıköy and the Asian side. For ferry timetables and payment, see the Istanbulkart and the tourist map of Istanbul. Sirkeci Station, across the strait, is another former station worth seeing: see Sirkeci Station.
How to get there
Haydarpaşa, Kadıköy, Istanbul (Asian side). Ferry to Kadıköy from Eminönü, Karaköy or Beşiktaş, then allow about 20 minutes on foot northwards along the shore.
Opening hours
Nearby
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