Which neighbourhoods are unsafe in Istanbul Turkey ?
Do you consider buying property in Istanbul and wonder about unsafe neighbourhoods in Istanbul Turkey? In this article, I will show the areas which are often considered dangerous in Istanbul.
All information in this article and more is also included in my YouTube video:
Overview Unsafe neighbourhoods in Istanbul
Istanbul is generally a safe place to live. But like every major city, there are some neighbourhoods in Istanbul which are considered unsafe. I will show all the areas with a bad reputation.
This article is structured into three sections:
- Safety level of Istanbul compared to other big cities worldwide
- Areas with a bad reputation in Istanbul – outer districts
- Areas with a bad reputation in Istanbul – central areas
1) Safety level of Istanbul compared to other big cities worldwide
Let’s take a look at the overall safety level of Istanbul compared to other big cities worldwide. I will present a study conducted by Numbeo in 2025. The safest city on this list is Abu Dhabi with a safety score of 88. All the top six cities are in the Middle East, with Dubai ranking fourth. In Asia, big cities like Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, Tokyo and Seoul all have scores above 75.
Istanbul ranks 221st with a score of 52. For comparison: Rome has the exact same score as Istanbul. Some European cities like Amsterdam, Madrid or Berlin score higher. Others like Barcelona, Brussels, London, Athens and Paris score lower. Major American cities like New York, Miami and Los Angeles are also rated less safe than Istanbul. Surprisingly to me, Kuala Lumpur is listed near the bottom. In that lower section, you’ll also find big cities from the Americas like Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro. At the very bottom are cities from South Africa.
So overall, Istanbul is in the lower midfield of this global safety ranking. Check this link here to see the original study by Numbeo.
2) Areas with a bad reputation in Istanbul – outer districts
Now, let’s have a closer look at Istanbul itself. The green-highlighted districts (see pic) are the most beautiful and central districts in Istanbul. I will focus here on residential areas with a bad reputation and higher crime rates. Let’s start with the outer districts.
The first one is Esenyurt. This district has quite a bad reputation. You often hear about incidents there in the evening news. Esenyurt has a population of about 1 million people, which makes it larger than many European cities. Not all parts of Esenyurt have high crime rates, but whenever something happens, the whole district is mentioned.
Next is Kücükcekmece. This is another large district with a population of 790.000 people. A lot of urban regeneration has taken place here. So only certain neighbourhoods have higher crime rates. Many parts of Kücükcekmece are actually quite calm.
Then we have Bagcilar, which also has quite a bad reputation. Like the other outer districts, it is very densely populated with over 700.000 residents. There are major urban regeneration projects, at the intersection of Bagcilar and Kücükcekmece. But many other parts of Bagcilar still have a bad reputation.
Then we have Esenler, Gaziosmanpasa and Sultangazi. In all of them, there are neighbourhoods that are considered unsafe. But again, this doesn’t mean the entire district has high crime rates. Often, only specific areas are affected.
3) Areas with a bad reputation in Istanbul – central areas
Now, let’s have a closer look at the central parts of Istanbul. There is an area quite close to Taksim Square and Istiklal street. It is in the middle of Beyoglu and partly in Sisli.
There you’ll find Tarlabasi and Dolapdere, amongst other places. Especially Tarlabasi is known throughout Turkey as a place associated with crime, drugs and prostitution. However, since there is always a strong police presence around Istiklal street, the touristic areas in Beyoglu feel quite safe.
Another neighborhood with a bad reputation is Kustepe in the north of Sisli. Although Kustepe is quite central, it is very rundown and has higher crime rates compared to surrounding areas.
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