The name Fenerbahçe means "lighthouse garden" in Turkish (from fener, meaning "lighthouse," and bahçe, meaning "garden"), referring to the historic Fenerbahçe Lighthouse located in Fenerbahçe.[3]
In pre-Byzantine times, the area was known as Hieria (Ίερεία), named for a sanctuary of Hera in the area. (Alternate explanations for the name include "grave" (ήρίον), "air" (άήρ), and "religious ceremony" or "religious festival."[4][5])
In the 16th century, the Ottomans began building in the area, converting the grounds of the Byzantine palace into an imperial garden, much work being done by the architect Sinan. A small imperial mosque was built during the reign of Selim I. A palace was also built including a main building (kasır), a smaller building, outbuildings, a tower, and a small mosque.[17]
In 1562, SultanSüleyman gave permission for Kapıağası Yakup Ağa to construct a lighthouse (fânûs) here. Its lamp burned olive oil. In 1849, the tower was rebuilt taller. In 1856, a more modern lighthouse was built.[18][19] In the 18th century, Fenerbahçe was known as a place of punishment (infaz) and was the port from which those sentenced to exile were sent off.[20] In the mid-19th century, the road connecting the area to Kadıköy narrow and in very poor condition. The main inhabitants were a few Greek and Armenian fishing families.[21]
In the 1870s, the population of the neighborhood was small, consisting mostly of Ottoman minorities and foreigners, and most of the land belonged to four foreign families: the French Jewish Levantine Oppenheim family, the Swiss Levantine Semadeni family, the Swiss-French Levantine Cingria family, and the German Müller family. People in the social circles of these families and later wealthy Levantines, Greeks, and Armenians built houses on these lands.[22][23]
In 1873, a railwaybranch line was opened from Feneryolu to Fenerbahçe. Train service continued till 1928. The station building was demolished in 1936.[24]
Namesakes
The neighborhood gave its name to Fenerbahçe S.K., the professional sports club based in the area.[25] The home stadium of the club, Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, stands just outside the Fenerbahçe neighborhood.[26]
The Fenerbahçe Education, Culture, and Health Foundation's Fenerbahçe University is located in the Ataşehir district of Istanbul.[27]
^Karakaya, Enis (2021). "Bizans Devrinde Fenerbahçe Hiereia"(PDF). Restorasyon (22). Vakıflar İstanbul I. Bölge Müdürlüğü: 35–36. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
^Papadakis, Aristeides (1991). "Hieria, Local Council of". The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Vol. 2. Oxford University Press. p. 929. Retrieved 22 January 2025.
^Mango. "Hieria". The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.