What is the best urban legend that you heard about İstanbul?

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Leprechaun

There was something i heard. There was some kind of assassination plan in the palace against the sultan. Some women in harem planned that. When the sultan found out about it,he ordered his men to put all the women in harem in bags and drop them in the sea.

So they put the women in bags,sailed from Topkapı palace and drop them near the other side. That is why that place is called Harem.

#Edit: Vaggos.Gr, yes that must be a legend because Byzantion king died in combat while defending the city.

YabanciKiz

That Hande Yener has talent.

Totally Blunt

This is not an urban legend, but it still makes me laugh anyway.

There is a lonely grave in Fulya, Beşiktaş. A group of young pranksters put a water glass on the tomb and write something like, Bardak Baba Türbesi on it. People think it is a türbe and start praying there. The pranksters told a newspaper what they did many years later, but I don't know if people believed the true story.

There is another. Some guy in Bağlarbaşı paints his coal cellar, a smallish building on the side of his house, bright green, i.e.türbe yeşili. People started praying in front of the coal cellar. The place is known as a türbe to this day. I've heard this one from someone who actually lived in Bağlarbaşı when this thing happened.

I guess, we are creating our own legends.

Soldier

My favourite is the legend of the Marbled King. The last Emperor, Konstantinos Dragatsis Palaiologos, will rise to send you all back... and Polis will be greek again.

I will tell him to keep you though because you cook well.

Vaggos.Gr

I understand that it's not a good legend for Turks, but the most famous legend of Byzantium is the Marble King (about Constantine XI Palaiologos , last Byzantine Emperor).
The legend says :

" When the Ottomans entered the city, an angel rescued the emperor, turned him into marble and placed him in a cave under the earth near the Golden Gate, where he waits to be brought to life again ".

But it's only a legend !

ithinkiatetoomuch

This is a fun question.
There is TREASURE hidden in the cistern in Sultan Ahmet and no one has found it, even though they brought sophisticated equipment in to look for it.
The foundation of the mason lodge in Tunel is made of gold bricks, and they eat babies.
EVERY student who went to university in Istanbul has told me that one night they had a study session that lasted all night. They fell asleep studying(boys and girls in one room!! oops) anyway they were all woken up at the same moment by the doors of the wardrobes opening and closing by their own power, but no one could move because it felt like someone was kneeling on their chest. Genies of course.
Another story I have heard many times, "I was driving down the road and I saw a prostitute and I decided to just go and talk to her, (yeah right) and so I picked her up and we were driving around and I suddenly realized she was a man and my old army buddy. So we went for kele paca and tea.'
And by the way if you put Vick's on your Johnson after sex you don't get AIDS.
The old prime minister who became president, I forgot his name, was really dead while he was in office and the person we saw was an auto matron.
These are silly, the best ones are not about Istanbul, rural legends.
Like the prophet's shoe legend.

yeah i know... as they say there are "yatırs" in Çemberlitaş.... knights on the horses heads in their hands.... creepy :)

curious

The archelogical angravement ,the project Marmaray is very interesting ...

And the new studies upon finding the colours of the statue's that remained from Byzantion should be perfect,if i find a friend i will go to visit Archelogical Museum as soon as i can

These are not legends but,worth to a thousand of them .

Just my idea

genç türk

The people of constantinople still believe that in the last minute some savior will appear and send the turks back to asia. They watch in shock as Fatih rides his horse towards haghia sophia, but don't lose their faith.

Upon the entrance of Fatih into the haghia sophia, a devil-like creature appears and scares Fatih's horse. He swings his sword, killing the demon, a shape resembling damage by a sword and his horses horseshoe can still be seen in the temple.

The rest is history!

? ? ? I. A. ? ? ?

Well, I suppose I don't know Istanbul enough...

There are many legends, especially regarding history...

I heard something that fascinated me, although it's actually not a legend .

The Ottoman army conquered the city by moving the warships on the land , with cut trees, and they could attack Byzantion by behind ,on a total surprise ...

єуℓüℓ

agreed with YabanciKiz :)))

anlarm

Who needs an urban legend or myth when living in Istanbul! The city lives with them all the time. There is a new one in every street every hour.

HolyWars

The best one is i think Ulubatlı Hasan. The soldier that pulled the Ottoman Flag to the Byzantion walls.. He carried the flag against all the swords and burrows and gave courage to other soldiers.

Some historians say; its just a talent.... Who knows?? May be he lived or not....