Şile, Istanbul Province, Marmara Region, Türkiye

🇹🇷 Şile is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 800 km². Bordering Şile is the province of Kocaeli (districts of Gebze, Körfez, Derince, Kandıra) to the east and south, and Istanbul districts of Pendik to the south, Çekmeköy to the south-west, and Beykoz to the west. The popular resort town Ağva is also a part of Şile. However, between June and September, the population rapidly increases because of the many residents of Istanbul who have summer houses in Şile.

History The word şile means marjoram in Turkish. The word's etymology is said to be Greek. There has been a fishing village here since 700 BC and a lighthouse since the Ottoman period. According to the Ottoman General Census of 1881/82-1893, the kaza of Şile had a total population of 16,770, consisting of 10,314 Muslims, 6,447 Greeks, 3 Armenians and 6 foreign citizens. The boundaries of Şile were expanded by the addition of the village of Esenceli from Beykoz district in 1989.

Composition There are 62 neighbourhoods in Şile District: • Ağaçdere • Ağva Merkez • Ahmetli • Akçakese • Alacalı • Avcıkoru • Balibey • Bıçkıdere • Bozgoca • Bucaklı • Çataklı • Çavuş • Çayırbaşı • Çelebi • Çengilli • Darlık • Değirmençayırı • Doğancılı • Erenler • Esenceli • Geredeli • Göçe • Gökmaşlı • Göksu • Hacı Kasım • Hacıllı • Hasanlı • İmrendere • İmrenli • İsaköy • Kabakoz • Kadıköy • Kalem • Karabeyli • Karacaköy • Karakiraz • Karamandere • Kervansaray • Kızılca • Kömürlük • Korucu • Kumbaba • Kurfallı • Kurna • Meşrutiyet • Oruçoğlu • Osmanköy • Ovacık • Sahilköy • Satmazlı • Sofular • Soğullu • Sortullu • Şuayipli • Teke • Ulupelit • Üvezli • Yaka • Yaylalı • Yazımanayır • Yeniköy • Yeşilvadi.

Features Şile is famous for its beaches. However, it is at the northernmost point of Istanbul and thus shares the same sea conditions as other Black Sea towns where strong sea undercurrents can be dangerous to inexperienced swimmers. Beachgoers drown here annually on a regular basis. The north-facing Black Sea has a much shorter holiday season than the Aegean, the Mediterranean or even the Marmara, due to the relatively colder winters. Şile Castle (Turkish: Şile Kalesi) is a 14th-century Genoese castle on an island in Şile. The castle was renovated in 2015, sparking criticism that the work had made it resemble the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants or an illustration from the video game Minecraft. The tomb of a Muslim saint, Kum Baba, is on a tree-covered hill above Şile. Along the coast near Şile, in the village of Kızılcaköy, is a cave which, according to a local myth, is said to be the scene of events in the Anabasis of Xenophon. Şile is also known for Şile cloth, a crimped-looking, light, see-through cotton fabric, made on the Şile coast, sold in many shops in the town and sent to the bazaars of Istanbul. A fair is held in the town to promote Şile cloth every summer. The largest campus of Işık University is located in Şile.

Transport Şile is a part of Istanbul public transport system (İETT). There is a bus from Harem via Üsküdar (located at the Anatolian side of Istanbul) to Şile (İETT Lines 139 and 139A).