Maltepe, one of the provinces on the Anatolian side along the gorgeous coastline of the Sea of Marmara, is located between the upscale district of Bostancı and the trending zone of Kartal along the shore, and the satellite town of Ataşehir to the north. Similar to the other districts by the coast, it was a strategic place for the naval forces and witnessed many wars. After it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, its second biggest military camp was established here. Unfortunately, several significant historical buildings were destructed after the big fire of Maltepe in the beginning of the 20th century and the province was reconstructed. Once known as a suburban area, today it is the new home of many production facilities, seven universities, middle-class residents and endless array of new Turkish properties.
Its location makes it one of the mostly preferred districts to settle in. Transportation is now much easier thanks to the Kartal-Kadıköy metro line, which started operating in 2012. Its amazing shore welcomes many visitors and has a big festival area, which is used to organize many activities during the month of Ramadan. Thousands of people share the collective spiritual experience of iftar, while enjoying traditional Ottoman food and artwork. One of the biggest mosques in Turkey, the Maltepe Central Mosque is also built here. This beautiful mosque, with carved wooden frames and large tile works, is now the symbol of the province. There are also many means of public transportation close to the mosque, making it easy to reach.
The coastline starts from Küçükyalı, which is as exclusive as its neighbor Bostancı. There are several upscale meat and fish restaurants on the coastline. Calipso Fish is one of the restaurants, which quickly gained a well-deserved fame for its fresh fish and high quality service. There are also several restaurants on the Ataturk Avenue, the biggest avenue behind the coast. Küçükyalı Balıkçısı is one of the most famous fish restaurants with a delicious menu and an affordable cash-only pricing strategy.
Idealtepe is one of the trending zones, with an amazing view of the Princes’ Islands and a large local park called 50. Yıl Korusu. It is very easy to reach the coastline as well as the inland parts of Idealtepe with the metro and the newly constructed highways connecting the coast to the D-100 highway.
Investors of Turkish real estate are rushing to Maltepe to take advantage of the high demand for luxury properties. Both the inland areas and the coastline are home to comfortable, green and safe building complexes, with varying prices depending on the level of luxury and availability of sea views. The province is quite popular among upper-middle and middle class residents, who prefer to buy Istanbul property in the area due to its proximity to the big factories, production facilities and the lively neighborhoods of Kadıköy.