Home to the largest stadium in Turkey and one of its biggest shopping malls, Başakşehir lies in the European part of Istanbul. On its northern edge sits the magnificent pine forests and lakes of Ormanlık Alan Park and the Sazlıdere Dam reservoir, while the Sea of Marmara stretches to the south.

Things to do

Football fans shouldn’t miss the opportunity to take in a game at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, named after the first President of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Both Galatasaray and Beşiktaş have used it as their home stadium, and it boasts a staggering 76,000 seating capacity.

For some retail therapy, you can’t go past the beautifully designed Mall of Istanbul that is found in the south of Başakşehir. In addition to its 350 specialty stores, there’s also a gourmet food court and the MOiPark theme park, together with an arts street dedicated to traditional Turkish crafts.

Travelling with kids? They can let off some steam on the obstacles of Babalu Park. There’s a whole range of physical activities to keep them entertained, including ball pools, slides and tunnels, as well as trampolines and air-hockey tables.

Take a day trip to neighbouring Forum, where Europe’s largest Dinosaur theme park, Jurassic Land, is located. There are life-size, moving models of dinosaurs, a 6D theatre and a museum where dinosaur bones and eggs from millions of years ago are exhibited.

Getting around

Başakşehir is well connected to Istanbul’s metro system, with stations dotted throughout this extensive suburb. The journey into Istanbul takes around 30 minutes, and public buses service the areas not situated on the metro line.