A royal retreat on Istanbul’s Princes' Islands
A literary caper, an island archive & the ghosts of grandeur.
Welcome to Al-Monitor Istanbul.
As the weather warms and the city simmers, Buyukada — the largest of the Princes' Islands — offers a breezy escape before summer tourism descends in full. Known in Greek as Prinkipo, meaning “Prince,” the island once exiled disgraced Byzantine royals and later political dissidents. British historian Philip Mansel recounts that in the early 20th century, the island home of poet Ziya Gokalp became a regular meeting spot for the Jeune Turks, who dined there each Friday and helped lay the foundations of modern Turkish nationalism. King Edward VIII visited with Wallis Simpson. So did Maria Callas and Ari Onassis.
In this (mostly black-and-white) issue, we climb the marble stairs of Splendid Palace to admire its Belle Epoque architecture and the evocative exhibition “Prinkipo Mon Amour.” We explore Printkipo, a bold new artists’ studio, and tip our straw hats to Lawrence Goodman’s comic island caper.
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Thanks for reading,
Nazlan
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1. Leading the week: Isle-Splendor
High tea. (Photo courtesy of Splendid Palace Hotel)
Buyukada now swells with day-trippers and cafes, but tucked behind the island’s busy promenade stands Splendid Palace Hotel — the grande dame of the Princes’ Islands — offering a quieter kind of grandeur. Built in 1908 by Kazim Pasha, the Ottoman general who brought railways to the Hijaz and Riviera elegance to Istanbul’s shores, the hotel remains a monument to old-world style.
Inspired by the Hotel Negresco in Nice, Splendid blends Art Nouveau charm with Ottoman grace: domed towers, red shutters and a courtyard flanked by pillars on every floor. A wide terrace is set with old-fashioned wicker chairs, ideal for watching the island unfold. Inside, the high-ceilinged tea room (pictured) and bar still nod to a time when elegance was expected at every hour. Rooms are fitted with white wooden floors and red-and-gray striped rugs, maintaining their original composure. The hotel was used as a hospital during World War I, hosted social events attended by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the 1920s and was fully restored in the 2010s by the same family that founded it. Today, Serra Hamamcioglu Taskent, the fifth generation of the family, runs it.
The hotel hosts “Prinkipo Mon Amour,” a photographic and sculptural exhibition curated by Sule Gazioglu. At its heart is Ahmet Abut’s archive — photographs of island life spanning from the late Ottoman era to the mid-20th century (more later). The show also features works by Annette Louise Solakoglu and red-and-white striped installations by Esra Oguz, offering a contemporary echo.
Location: 23 Nisan Street. No:39 Buyukada
2. Word on the street: Printkipo
Splendid Palace Hotel from the ink of Sercan Apaydin. (Photo courtesy of the artist)
As we started this week’s newsletter with tourism, let’s stay on the island and pivot to art. Meet Printkipo, a brave new artist-run platform in Buyukada where the riso ink is bold. Born as Ada Print Studio on Heybeliada in 2023, the initiative resettled in Buyukada last year under its punchier new name. Specializing in risograph printing — think zines, grainy textures and unapologetic color — it showcases works by Dilruba Balak, Sercan Apaydin, Zeynep Beler and the thrilling “Strangers on the Boat” postcard series by Minamon. It’s part studio, part refuge, all attitude. The slogan? “Support Your Local Artists.” For updates and visual treats, follow @printkipo on Instagram.
3. Istanbul diary
“It Keeps Growing Outside,” by Denef Huvaj. (Photo courtesy of IBB)
- Denef Huvaj’s hauntingly serene photo exhibition, “It Keeps Growing Outside,” on display until Sept. 7, takes over Buyukada’s beautiful stone building, Tas Mektep, inviting viewers to reclaim walking as an act of resistance in a frantic world.
- On the mainland, outspoken artist Gulsun Karamustafa’s “A Sort of Invasion,” on display until July 1, split between BuroSarigedik and Merdiven Art Space, traces Istanbul’s fragile memory through collage, installation and video.
- Galerist hosts Nuri Kuzucan’s “All Fragments of a Painting” until June 21, invoking the historic building’s memory without imposing a narrative.
4. Book of the week: “Sweet Confusion”
Life on the Princes’ Islands isn’t all bicycles and bougainvillea. In “Sweet Confusion,” Lawrence Goodman’s debut in his comic mystery quartet, fresh-faced American Ed Wilkie lands a teaching job — and a thicket of entanglements. There’s a stuttering spy, a seductive landlady, a determined young woman named Elif — and a bull terrier called Starleen who may be the most sensible of them all. Goodman’s prose is light on its feet, rich with literary allusions and steeped in island mischief. The ferry takes an hour; the plot takes off immediately.
5. Istanbul gaze
Zarifis Mansion, ink on paper, by Akillas Millas. (Courtesy of Adalar Museum)
Akillas Millas, a Greek architect, historian and painter of Istanbul Greek (Rum) origin, devoted much of his life to documenting the layered heritage of his native city. Born and raised in Istanbul, Millas later moved to Greece but never severed his ties with Turkey. His drawing here captures the lost grandeur of the so-called “White House” — the Zarifis mansion on Buyukada that was demolished in 1956 to make way for a concrete hotel block, erasing yet another chapter of Adalar’s architectural memory.
6. By the numbers
- The Princes’ Islands consist of nine islands, four — Buyukada, Heybeliada, Burgazada and Kinaliada — of which are permanently inhabited. The total land area of the archipelago is 11 square kilometers (4.25 square miles). The largest island, Buyukada, spans 5.4 square kilometers (2.08 square miles). The permanent population of Adalar is around 17,000 but swells to over 65,000 during summer.
- Buyukada’s must-see Aya Yorgi Monastery dates back to 963 AD and was built during the reign of Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros II Phokas. The stone structure seen today was built in 1751, restored in 1905 and reopened in 1909.