Kağıthane, Istanbul: Buying, Renting and Airport Access

24 October 2026

Kağıthane guide: price per m² and rent across 19 neighborhoods, M7 and M11 metro to the airport, residence status, pros and cons, and buying tips.

The Kağıthane district (Kağıthane) is on Istanbul's European side, between Şişli, Beşiktaş, Sarıyer and Eyüpsultan. Over the past two decades it has turned from a dense industrial valley into one of the most in-demand residential areas close to the city's business center. According to Emlakjet data for September 2026, the average asking price of apartments for sale in Kağıthane is about TL 73,964 per square meter; that is higher than the outlying districts in the west of the city, but lower than Levent and Maslak, which are a few minutes away. Two metro lines, the M7 and the M11, also run through the district, and the second connects it directly to Istanbul Airport. In this guide we go through the location, neighborhoods, purchase and rental prices by neighborhood, transport, residence status and tips for buying property in Kağıthane.

In Persian-language sources, the district's name is also written in forms such as "Kaghitaneh", "Kaghit Haneh" and "Kaghazkhaneh". In Turkish it means "paper factory", and it goes back to a paper mill that operated in this valley in the Ottoman period.

Where is Kağıthane and what is its history?

Kağıthane lies at the northern end of the Golden Horn (Haliç), along the two streams of Alibeyköy and Kağıthane, and covers about 15 square kilometers. It has had its own municipality since 1987.

The district's history has three clear periods:

• Ottoman period: Under Suleiman the Magnificent, this valley was a hunting ground and leisure area for the court, and it reached the height of its fame in the "Tulip Era" under Ahmed III. The Sadabad Palace was built here in 1722 and destroyed in the Patrona Halil rebellion of 1730. The district's old name was also "Sadabad".
• Industrial period: After 1923, the north of the Golden Horn became an industrial zone, and from the 1950s migrants from Anatolia came to work in the factories and built informal homes (gecekondu). Many of these houses were later legalized and gave way to multi-story buildings.
• Renewal period: From the early twenty-first century, urban renewal, tunnels and metro lines changed the face of the district, and new residential and office complexes were built.

Population

According to the 2025 Address-Based Population Registration System (ADNKS) figures of the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), published in February 2026, Kağıthane's population is 446,420. With so little land, Kağıthane counts as one of Istanbul's densest districts; that density means an active market and services, but crowded streets in the older neighborhoods.

Neighborhoods of Kağıthane

Kağıthane has 19 official neighborhoods: Çağlayan, Çeliktepe, Emniyet Evleri, Gültepe, Gürsel, Hamidiye, Harmantepe, Hürriyet, Mehmet Akif Ersoy, Merkez, Nurtepe, Ortabayır, Seyrantepe, Şirintepe, Sultan Selim, Talatpaşa, Telsizler, Yahya Kemal and Yeşilce.

For a buyer, these neighborhoods can be seen in a few groups:

• Merkez and Talatpaşa: the main core of the district, near Kağıthane station, where the M7 and M11 meet.
• Seyrantepe and Emniyet Evleri: the parts closest to Maslak and the Büyükdere business axis, with newer complexes.
• Hamidiye: in the north of the district, close to the edge of the forest, where large and more expensive complexes have been built.
• Çağlayan, Gültepe and Nurtepe: denser, older neighborhoods with lower prices, part of which is undergoing renewal.

Home prices in Kağıthane by neighborhood

The table below shows the average asking price of apartments for sale in each neighborhood, according to data from the property site Emlakjet for September 2026. The last column is the payback period from rent, which Emlakjet calculates by comparing sale and rental prices in the same neighborhood.

A few points for reading this table correctly:

• These figures are average asking prices, not final transaction prices. A new unit in a complex with amenities is usually priced above the neighborhood average, and an old building below it.
• The price growth is in lira. Because the lira weakened against the dollar over the same period, growth in dollar terms is lower than these percentages.
• The drop in Hamidiye is most likely due to the mix of listings (the share of large, luxury complexes among the listings), not a real fall in the market; even so, Hamidiye is still the most expensive neighborhood in the district.
• The average price for the whole district in the same month was about TL 6,657,000 per apartment.

To know whether the price of a specific unit is reasonable, an official valuation report helps; see the explanation in the article SPK appraisal. You can also estimate the side costs of buying, from title deed (tapu) fees to commissions, with the Turkey property purchase cost calculator.

Renting a home in Kağıthane

According to the same source, the average apartment rent in Kağıthane in September 2026 was about TL 495 per square meter per month, and the average monthly rent per apartment was about TL 40,425. Rents have risen by about 40 percent in lira over the past 12 months.

If we compare the average rent with the average sale price (495 times 12 months, divided by 73,964), the gross rental yield for the whole district comes to about 8 percent a year. This figure is before deducting costs such as aidat, tax on rental income and vacant months, and for a specific unit it has to be calculated separately. On annual running costs, read the article Annual running costs of an apartment in Istanbul.

Transport: the M7 metro, the M11 metro and the tunnels

The most important development in Kağıthane in recent years has been the arrival of the metro:

A few points:

• Kağıthane station is where the M7 and M11 meet; so properties near this station have rail access both to the city center and to the airport.
• At Gayrettepe you can change from the M11 to the M2 metro (Taksim - Yenikapı - Maslak).
• In the other direction, the M11 continues to Göktürk and, from June 2026, to Halkalı. For the neighboring district on the same line, read the Göktürk guide.
• The TEM and E-5 (D-100) highways also pass close to the district.

For comparison with other districts, see the article Best areas of Istanbul near the metro.

Living in the Kağıthane district

• Shopping center: The Axis İstanbul shopping center is in Kağıthane, and the large Vadistanbul complex is just across the district border, in the Ayazağa neighborhood of Sarıyer.
• University: İstanbul Kent University is in Kağıthane. The central campus of İstanbul Bilgi University, with the energy museum in the old Silahtarağa power plant, is also at the end of the Golden Horn, next to the district (in Eyüpsultan).
• Green space: The banks of the Kağıthane stream have been turned into a park and walking path in recent years.
• Work: Proximity to Levent, Maslak and the Büyükdere axis keeps rental demand from company employees high. For the neighboring districts, see also the guides to the Şişli district and the Maslak district.

Pros and cons of buying property in Kağıthane

If you are considering older buildings, read the guide to earthquake-resistant buildings before buying.

Residence permits for foreigners in Kağıthane

Kağıthane was not among the districts that Turkey's then Interior Minister announced in October 2022 as fully closed to new foreigner residence registrations; that list included Küçükçekmece, Başakşehir, Bağcılar, Avcılar, Bahçelievler, Sultangazi, Esenler and Zeytinburnu, while Fatih and Esenyurt had been closed earlier. However, residence restrictions in Turkey are also applied at the "neighborhood" level, and the list of closed neighborhoods has changed several times.

So:

• If your goal is to get a residence permit through buying property, check the status of that same neighborhood and that same address with an advisor and the Istanbul migration office before paying any money.
• The rules for residence permits through property purchase, including the minimum property value and the valuation report, have changed in recent years. The rules may change again; consult the ALO TURKEY advisors before you decide.

To learn about open and closed districts, see the article Best areas of Istanbul for getting a residence permit.

Checklist for buying property in Kağıthane

1. Measure the walking distance to Kağıthane, Çağlayan or Nurtepe station precisely; in this district, the metro is the most important driver of rental demand.
2. Ask about the year of construction and renewal status of the building; in the older neighborhoods, check older buildings more carefully for earthquake resistance.
3. Check the status of the title deed and occupancy permit (iskan) in new and off-plan projects.
4. Compare the price with the neighborhood average in the table above and with the official valuation report.
5. Check the residence status of the neighborhood separately before buying.
6. Work out the side costs in advance: title deed (tapu) fees, commissions and earthquake insurance.

The Kağıthane project at ALO TURKEY

Galleria Park Residence is an 8-story project with 92 residential units in Kağıthane, with units from one to three bedrooms and duplexes from 47 to 240 square meters, and amenities such as an indoor pool, a gym, covered parking and round-the-clock security. Prices of the units are on request and depend on the layout, floor and time of purchase.

To see other districts of the city, see the Istanbul areas page.

Frequently asked questions

How much do homes cost in the Kağıthane district?

According to Emlakjet data for September 2026, the average asking price of apartments for sale is about TL 73,964 per square meter; from about TL 53,000 in Harmantepe to nearly TL 109,000 in Hamidiye.

Are Kaghitaneh and Kaghazkhaneh the same as Kağıthane?

Yes. All of these are Persian spellings of the name Kağıthane, which means "paper factory".

How far is it from Kağıthane to Istanbul Airport?

By the M11 metro from Kağıthane station, about 24 minutes according to Turkish media.

Is Kağıthane closed to residence permits for foreigners?

Kağıthane was not on the list of districts fully closed in 2022, but there are also neighborhood-level restrictions. Check the status of the specific neighborhood before buying.

What is the rental yield in Kağıthane?

With the September 2026 averages, the gross yield is about 8 percent a year; the net yield after costs and vacant months is lower.

Free consultation with ALO TURKEY

To visit projects in Kağıthane, get an up-to-date check of a neighborhood's residence status and compare it with neighboring districts such as Şişli and Maslak, contact the Persian-speaking ALO TURKEY advisors via WhatsApp or the contact page.

Sources: the Turkish Statistical Institute TÜİK (2025 ADNKS population, published February 2026, as cited by nufusu.com); the property site Emlakjet (sale and rental prices by neighborhood, September 2026); Wikipedia (Kağıthane, the M7 metro, the M11 metro, the Kağıthane - Piyalepaşa tunnel, Vadistanbul); CNN Türk and Timeturk (opening of the M11, January 2023); Daily Sabah (October 2022) on the districts closed to residence permits; İstanbul Bilgi University (energy museum); project information from the ALO TURKEY properties page. Information checked as of October 2026.