Riva
Riva is a coastal village in Beykoz, between Anadolu Feneri and Şile. Known as the filming location of Diriliş: Ertuğrul and its wide Black Sea beach.
Riva is a small coastal neighbourhood in the Beykoz district, sitting right where the Çayağzı creek meets the Black Sea. A wide sandy beach stretches to the west of the creek mouth, making it one of the quieter spots to catch some sea air this far north of the city centre. Before the First World War, most of the villagers were Greek. The 1920s population exchange changed that, and today the roughly 2,885 residents are largely descendants of families who came from Turkey's Black Sea region. Despite its modest size, Riva gained a new kind of fame in recent years as the main filming location for the popular Turkish TV series Diriliş: Ertuğrul and its sequel Kuruluş: Osman. The village sits about 16 km from Beykoz centre, tucked between the more well-known Anadolu Feneri to the northwest and Şile further east. It's not a place packed with attractions — the appeal is simply the beach, the creek, a ruined medieval castle on the hill, and the chance to see where a historic drama was shot.
“To walk the beach where Ertuğrul was filmed, swim in the Black Sea, and see a quiet village that few İstanbul day-trippers reach.”
The castle ruins (Riva Kalesi) are easy to miss — follow the small path uphill past the tea garden on the eastern bank of the creek.
The sandy beach and steep uphill path to the castle ruins are not wheelchair friendly; village streets can be uneven and sandy.
Good to know
- Is Riva free to visit?
- Free. Black Sea mouth village in Beykoz — river mouth beach and castle ruins day trip; coords via Nominatim
- How long should you spend at Riva?
- ~2h
- When is the best time to visit Riva?
- Morning
- Is Riva wheelchair accessible?
- The sandy beach and steep uphill path to the castle ruins are not wheelchair friendly; village streets can be uneven and sandy.
