The district includes a number of important sites along the European shore of the Bosphorus, from Dolmabahçe Palace in the south to the Bebek area in the north.

Running in the north–south direction, Barbaros Boulevard is a major feeder road for the inner-city motorway Otoyol 1 and the Bosphorus Bridge, terminating at the important public transport hub of Zincirlikuyu.

[5] In a 2013 ranking of Turkish districts, Beşiktaş placed first overall due to its high quality of life, prosperity, and cultural level.

According to one story, there was a Byzantine church in modern-day Beşiktaş with the name Kounopetra, Greek for "stone cradle".

The church was built to honor a relic, a stone reportedly taken from the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus was born.

This stone was later relocated to Hagia Sophia and disappeared during the Fourth Crusade, possibly to be sold in Europe's relics market.

[5] This stretch of the Bosphorus shore is somewhat sheltered from the strong northeasterly winds that bring storms to Istanbul, and thus it forms an ideal mooring place for ships.

[13] In ancient times the villages on the Bosphorus shore were isolated communities in the forest that lined the water-side.

The Bosphorus, however, was prominent in the history and mythology of the ancient Greeks, and villages like Beşiktaş would have had their place in traditional tales such as Jason and the Argonauts.

The Bosphorus settlements, however, being outside the city walls, were vulnerable to raiders from the Black Sea coasts, and little of this architecture or the statuary that would have decorated it so gloriously has survived.

One man, in particular, the sailor Barbarossa Hayreddin, built his palace and mosque in Beşiktaş, making it his home.

By now Beşiktaş was an established Bosphorus crossing for caravans trading across Anatolia and along the Silk Road, and for Ottoman armies.

According to Ottoman estimations of 1882, the district of Beşiktaş had a total population of 28,777, consisting of 10,753 Muslims, 9,248 Greeks, 4,897 Armenians, 3,057 Jews, 601 Catholics, 203 Bulgarians and 18 Latins.

The area was thus the scene of great intrigues of the late Ottoman period such as the dethronement of Sultan Abdülaziz at Dolmabahçe Palace in a coup in 1876, the announcement of the founding of the Ottoman parliament in 1908, and the deposing of Sultan Abdul Hamid II at Yıldız Palace in 1909.

[15] Following the foundation of the Turkish Republic in 1923, the Ottoman ruling family was deported and the palaces and mansions along the coast were emptied.

Today it is still a very expensive neighborhood filled with cafés, restaurants and shops catering to the elite of Istanbul.

Çırağan Palace and the Kabataş Erkek Lisesi, one of the most prestigious high schools in Turkey, are also located in the neighborhood.

With the Ottoman dynasty's settlement in Dolmabahçe in the 17th century and many workers eventually settling in houses and mansions in Beşiktaş, many shopping places like Çarşı popped up, helping the area to be a developing economic center.

But with the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, and the capital being moved to Ankara, Beşiktaş's economic development came to a halt.

[citation needed] Beşiktaş is home to İşbank, Garanti BBVA, Akbank, Yapı Kredi and Fibabanka's head offices and embassies of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Denmark, Egypt, Israel, Northern Cyprus, South Africa, Spain, and the United Arab Emirates.

The team played their home games at the historic İnönü Stadium, which was demolished in 2013 and replaced on the same grounds by the 42,590 seat Vodafone Park.

The club has earned notoriety for its faithful fans, who have broken volume records with 132 decibel cheers.

The club's most famous supporter group is called Çarşı, and is known for its involvement in social and political issues.

[43] Beşiktaş is an important transport hub with ferries going to the Asian side and dozens of buses departing from the area.

The municipality is an associated partner of Eurocities and is involved in a number of working groups ranging from urban ageing to migration and integration.