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Şişli
District
Location of Şişli in Istanbul
Şişli Location of Şişli in Turkey
Coordinates: 41°03′37″N 28°59′16″ECoordinates: 41°03′37″N 28°59′16″E[1]
Country	Turkey
Province	Istanbul
Government [1]
• Mayor	Muammer Keskin[2] (CHP)
• Kaymakam	Mehmet Öklü
Area [3]
• District	35.01 km2 (13.52 sq mi)
Highest elevation [4]	140 m (460 ft)
Lowest elevation [4]	70 m (230 ft)
Population  (2012)[5]
• District	318,217
• District density	9,100/km2 (24,000/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+3 (TRT)
Postal code	34360, 34371, 34373, 34375, 34377, 34379, 34380, 34382, 34394, 34396
Area code(s)	0-212
Website	www.sisli.bel.tr www.sisli.gov.tr

Şişli (pronounced [ˈʃiʃli]) is one of the 39 districts of Istanbul, Turkey. Located on the European side of the city, it is bordered by Beşiktaş to the east, Sarıyer to the north, Eyüp and Kağıthane to the west, and Beyoğlu to the south. In 2009, Şişli had a population of 316,058.^[6]

It is also the name of a specific area of Şişli district centerd on the Sişli Mosque.

History[edit]

Until the 1800s, Şişli was open countryside, used for hunting, agriculture and leisure. It was developed as a middle class residential district during the last years of the Ottoman Empire and the early years of the Turkish Republic (the late 19th-early 20th centuries). French culture was an important influence in this period and the wide avenues of Şişli were lined with large stone buildings with high ceilings and art nouveau wrought-iron balconies, and which often had little elevators on wires in the middle of the stairways. This trading middle-class was composed of Jews, Greeks and Armenians, as well as some Turks, many of whom built homes in Şişli after a large fire devastated the neighbouring district of Pera (now Beyoğlu) in 1870. To this day, several families from Istanbul‘s local Armenian community live in the Kurtuluş neighbourhood of Şişli. The area was also popular with the Levantine trading families of this period who settled in Istanbul for trade or were contracted by the Ottoman Empire. Şişli also attracted migrants from former possessions in Greece and the Balkans. In the late 19th century, Şişli was one of the first areas supplied with tramlines, electricity and natural gas. The Darülaceze orphanage and the large Şişli Etfal Hospital were built here in this period, as well as the French schools of St. Michel and Notre Dame de Sion.

Following the founding of the Turkish Republic in the 1920s, larger and larger buildings were built along wide avenues such as Halaskargazi Caddesi, the main road that runs through the middle of Şişli, with its little arcades of shops below tall apartment and office buildings. In the republican era, the area was still popular with the middle classes but also attracted a growing population of traders. Writers and poets also favoured the area, and Şişli acquired theatres, cafes and other cultural amenities. The Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus was built here in the 1950s and many others followed.

From the 1950s onwards people from Anatolia began to migrate to Istanbul in search of work. In most cases they built themselves illegal squats on unclaimed or government-owned land (see gecekondu). Some of these people settled in parts of Şişli in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in the northern sections of the district, around Mecidiyeköy.

The centre of Şişli today[edit]

Now that the wealthy elite of central Şişli has moved into less central suburbs of the city, the large buildings on the grand avenues are occupied by offices, banks, and big shops, forming the largest part of the Istanbul Central Business District. Since the 1970s most older buildings have been pulled down and replaced with newer, and perhaps less remarkable, multi-storey structures. The back streets are still residential, and many working-class families and students have settled here. There are plenty of shops, cafés, pubs, and other amenities. Additionally, Şişli’s central location adds to its desirability.

Climate[edit]

Şişli’s climate is a relatively cool Mediterranean climate (Csa/Cs) according to both the Köppen and the Trewartha climate classification. It is in plant hardiness zone 9a, and AHS heat zone 3.^[7]

Business and shopping[edit]

Fulya

Otim

Bomonti/Şişli Merkez

Osmanbey

Nişantası

İstanbul Cevahir/ Şişli Mecidiyeköy

Taksim

İstanbul Sapphire, 4 Levent metro

Kanyon mall

ÖzdilekPark

Levent/Metrocity

Gayreteppe

Zincirlikuyu
Zorlu Center

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Map showing Şişli’s key business and shopping centers, universities, and selected metro stations and landmarks

Being a central area well-served with public-transport and other infrastructure,^[9] Şişli is a center of trade and shopping. The main road through Şişli up to the skyscrapers of Mecidiyeköy, Gayrettepe, Levent and beyond is now lined with office blocks. Europe’s largest and the world’s second largest (urban-area) shopping mall, Cevahir İstanbul, is situated here. Due to Şişli’s middle-class past and the enduring quality of some neighbourhoods the area is home to many upmarket shops mainly in the stylish and charming Nişantaşı area. Parking is an enduring problem, especially in the narrow side-streets.

People also come to Şişli for schooling; this city-centre area has some well-known high schools and a great number of dersane (preparatory courses for the annual university entrance exams), evening and weekend schools where people come to cram for university or high school entrance examinations, or to learn English.

There are many well-established cafes and restaurants, including fast-food for the students and shoppers.