Sile

Marmara, Turkey 1 tours visit here

Şile is a coastal town and district on the Black Sea shore of İstanbul province, northeast of the city on its Anatolian side. For İstanbul residents it works mainly as a summer and weekend escape: a compact centre of low buildings, fish restaurants and cloth shops, backed by forest and fronted by long sandy beaches. The town's landmark lighthouse, one of the largest in Turkey, stands on the headland above the sea, and just offshore lies Ocaklı Ada, a small rocky island carrying the ruins of an old castle, visible from the town and from most of the beaches. Sandy stretches such as Uzunkum and Ağlayan Kaya run either side of the centre. The Black Sea here is cooler and rougher than the Aegean or Marmara coasts, and strong currents are a recognised hazard, so swimming is kept to the flagged, patrolled sections. Şile also gives its name to şile bezi, a traditional loosely woven cotton cloth produced locally, often hand-embroidered and sold in shops around the town. It is usually visited as a day trip from İstanbul by road, frequently combined with the nearby river village of Ağva. Summer weekends are the busiest time; out of season the beaches and the woodland behind them are quiet.