Kasımpaşa is a quarter within the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It is a low-lying area north of the Golden Horn in the European part of the city. Neighbouring quarters include Dolapdere and Kurtuluş.
Kasımpaşa is one of the oldest residential areas in Istanbul with a strong naval tradition. The ships of Sultan Mehmed II sailed into the Golden Horn from the quarter. After the Fall of Constantinople Kasımpaşa flourished. By the 16th century it contained the principal dockyards of the Ottoman Empire, home to 120 ships. As the Empire declined, the yard became neglected. By the 19th century the Ottoman fleet was ineffective as a military power, and much of the neighbourhood was destroyed by fire. Today, the old arsenal is a repair dock serving cargo ships, ferries and a small shipping line.
The Turkish Naval High School was founded in 1773 to teach geometry and navigation to naval and civilian merchant captains on board a galleon anchored at Kasımpaşa. The Turkish Naval Academy was housed in Kasımpaşa from 1838 to 1850. Following the Armistice of Mudanya, the former Ottoman Ministry of the Navy (Bahriye Nazırlığı) building in Kasımpaşa became the headquarters of the Istanbul Naval Command on 14 November 1922.[1]
In the first years of the Republic, the Golden Horn area became less popular. In the 21st century, the İstanbul municipality has invested in the quarter by building a stadium, sports complex, pool, library and a social recreation facility on the shores of the Golden Horn, with fitness and health facilities available to the public.
Above the beach lies Ok Meydanı, where the sultans practiced archery. Several marble columns commemorate sensational shots by various sultans. The square has a namazgah, an outdoor prayer space.
The neighbourhood has become synonymous with the local football club Kasımpaşa Spor Kulübü, which plays in the TFF First League. Its home matches are played at the 13,500 seat, multi-purpose Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Stadium, named after the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan who was born in Kasımpaşa and attended Kasımpaşa Piyale primary school.
Kasımpaşa is the lowest valued property on the Istanbul Monopoly board.[2]