[1] It is located on the European side of Istanbul, near the city centre, just north of Bahçelievler, between the two major ring roads, TEM and D100 (formerly E5).

[citation needed] The mayor is Abdullah Özdemir from the Justice and Development Party, elected in April 2022.

Young Osman constructed a mosque approximately 400 years ago in an area which is today the center of the district.

There are aqueducts located in the military area of the Bağcılar district which were once in charge of meeting the water needs of Istanbul.

[6][7] Nearer to the Turkish War of Independence, Bağcılar was one of the villages of Mahmutbey where the Greek population lived during the Ottoman period.

The first wave of urbanization was experienced in the Merkez and Yenigün neighborhoods of Bağcılar, which were closest to the Istanbul city centre and Bakırköy districts.

Being close to the city center and Bakırköy district of Istanbul, this area was completely parceled out by formal and informal builders and renamed Parseller in the 1980s.

Bağcılar continues to be known as a district known for rapid population growth and poor or informal urban planning.

The presence of informally built apartment blocks remains a major concern for planning officials due to Istanbul's high earthquake risk.

Bağcılar is a primarily residential district composed of 5-6 story concrete frame structures with balconies and red tile roofs.

The district is largely defined by informal paved roadways which struggle with issues like traffic congestion and flooding.

Most of the industrial land uses in the district are located along the Gunesli link road from the TEM motorway to Istanbul airport.

The absence of sufficient green and recreational areas in the district remains a major quality of life issue.

The party controls most government seats in the district and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan remains popular.