Maltepe Stadium

Maltepe is a district in the Asian side of Istanbul, Turkey, on the northern shore of the Sea of Marmara. Its neighbouring districts are Kadikoy to the west, Kartal to the east and Atasehir to the northwest. The mayor of Maltepe is Ali Kilic (CHP).

History

In Byzantine times, the area was known as Bryas (Greek: Βρύας). In ca. 837, the emperor Theophilos (r. 829–842) erected here a palace in Arab style, inspired by the palaces of the Abbasids in Baghdad, described to him by his ambassador to the Abbasid court, John Grammatikos. A ruin in nearby Kucukyali has been identified as it.

This coast has been a retreat from the city since Byzantine and Ottoman times, and right up until the 1970s was a rural area peppered with summer homes for wealthy Istanbul residents. Being on the suburban railway line Maltepe was a favourite spot for day-trippers or weekenders to visit the beach and many summer houses were built there. Many of these houses remain but Maltepe is no longer a beach retreat: the Marmara sea is no longer clean enough to swim in, although the sea-front is still pleasant to sit, drink tea and enjoy the views of the Princes Islands.