Maltepe
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Maltepe is a district in the suburbs of Istanbul, Turkey between Kadikoy and Kartal on the Marmara sea.
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[edit] History
This coast has been a retreat from the city through Byzantine and Ottoman times, and right up until the 1970's 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 come to the beach and to build summer houses. Still today there are many of those houses but Maltepe is no longer a leisure retreat. The Marmara sea is not clean enough for swimming anymore, although it is still a pleasant sea-front to sit, drink tea and enjoy the views of the Princes Islands off the shore.
[edit] Maltepe today
The population grew rapidly from the 70's onwards when, following the building of the Bosphorus Bridge, it became possible to commute from here to the city. Buses along the E5 highway to the bridge, and minibuses to the ferry docks at Kadıköy now carry lower-middle class commuters (the wealthier preferring to live in smarter areas nearer the city, in Kadıköy itself). These people live either in quiet tree-lined streets of four- to six-storey apartment building with gardens around them, or in modern housing complexes with tennis-courts, childrens playgrounds and security guards on the gate.
Being generally cheaper than Kadıköy, Maltepe is popular with young-families and newly marrieds. During the earthquake of 1999 Maltepe suffered badly and many tall apartment blocks needed structural repair, some still bear the cracks of structural damage, something which reduced the price of property in Maltepe considerably. Over the past two years however, prices have risen again despite warnings that Maltepe is always under threat from earthquakes in the future.
The E5 highway cuts through Maltepe and north of the highway is the poorer area of Başıbüyük, a tree-covered hill with a hospital on it (formerly Istanbul's tuberculosis isolation hospital) and also a large cemetery. But it does have a great view of the coastline and the islands. A large proportion of the residents are from the Black Sea coast and there are some excellent bakeries and Akçaabat kofte restaurants (traditional to that area of Turkey).
[edit] Amenities
Maltepe is not unpleasant to live in, just a little far from the city. There is a busy shopping district and some big supermarkets with Burger Kings, branches of ToysRUs and all the other modern amenities. Maltepe has cinemas, fast-food places, and some good kebab houses. And there is the sea shore, where there are nice cafes and some bars and cafes with live music similar (but on a much smaller scale) to those found in Kadıköy or in Taksim (on the European side of the city). The public transport is mainly for commuters and doesn't run into the night for party-goers. Recently a large new mosque has been constructed in the centre of Maltepe, the main distinctive landmark.
[edit] Politics
Politically the area has always been a stronghold of the center right ANAP party but following the chaotic and corrupt performance of both left and right in Turkey in the 90's people have switched their vote to the Islamic-leaning AK party swept to power here (many MP's for AK party are former ANAP politicians). (see Mesut Yilmaz), DSP Bulent Ecevit MHP Devlet Bahceli Fazilet Party for the history of the decline of ANAP and also the success of the AKP from 1999 onwards). Arguments oftern happen with the Ilkay Political Party and her revolutionaries.
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Districts of Istanbul |
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Adalar | Avcılar | Bağcılar | Bahçelievler | Bakırköy | Bayrampaşa | Beşiktaş | Beykoz | Beyoğlu | Büyükçekmece | Çatalca | Eminönü | Esenler | Eyüp | Fatih | Gaziosmanpaşa | Güngören | Kadıköy | Kağıthane | Kartal | Küçükçekmece | Maltepe | Pendik | Sarıyer | Silivri | Sultanbeyli | Şile | Şişli | Tuzla | Ümraniye | Üsküdar | Zeytinburnu |
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