Bayrampaşa

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Bayrampaşa (pronounced [bɑjrɑmpɑʃɑ]) is a working class residential and industrial suburb of İstanbul, Turkey on the European side of the city. Population 240,000 (1997). Area 8 km².

The people of Bayrampaşa constitutes of mainly immigrants from Rumelia (Balkans) and recent migrants from Anatolia. The housing in Bayrampaşa is generally poor quality and there are workshops and small factories even in the residential streets, while large areas of the district are purely industrial.

There are a number of important public buildings in the area: Istanbul's largest prison (that has been now idled); two large sports complexes; the main bus station (which is actually in Bayrampaşa although it is named Esenler bus station). Bayrampaşa lies on the route of the old road to Thrace and a number of major roads and a light railway run through the middle of the area.

The area was known as Sağmalcılar until 1970 when a large outbreak of cholera, caused by pollution of the Ottoman-built water supply by new buildings and factories, led to the area being quarantined. Following this incident the name Sağmalcılar became synonymous with cholera so the district was renamed Bayrampaşa. Little of the Ottoman water system, which was built by Mimar Sinan, remains today.

Bayrampaşa is famous for its artichokes produced in the past, but now although there is no production in the region its name is given to a variety of artichoke in Turkey. Also there is a large statue of an artichoke in the middle of the district which became a symbol of the region.