Sedef Island, ( tr, Sedef Adası, literally "Mother-of-Pearl Island";

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

: Τερέβυνθος ''Terebinthos'', and in ancient times also ''Androvitha'' or ''Andircuithos'') is one of the nine islands consisting the

Princes' Islands The Princes' Islands ( tr, Prens Adaları; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", el, Πριγκηπονήσια, ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar ( en, Islands); alternatively the Princes' Arch ...

in the

Sea of Marmara The Sea of Marmara,; grc, Προποντίς, Προποντίδα, Propontís, Propontída also known as the Marmara Sea, is an inland sea located entirely within the borders of Turkey. It connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea via the ...

, near

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...

. Sedef Adası is officially a neighbourhood in the

Adalar The Princes' Islands ( tr, Prens Adaları; the word "princes" is plural, because the name means "Islands of the Princes", el, Πριγκηπονήσια, ''Pringiponisia''), officially just Adalar ( en, Islands); alternatively the Princes' Arch ...

district of

. With an area of 0.157 km², it is one of the smallest islands of the archipelago. The island is mostly private property and the current pine forests were largely planted by its owner Şehsuvar Menemencioğlu, who purchased the island in 1956 and also played an important role in the imposition of a strict building code to make sure that the island's nature and environment will be protected. It is not allowed to build houses with more than 2 floors. The island's Greek name, ''Terebinthos'', means "

turpentine Turpentine (which is also called spirit of turpentine, oil of turpentine, terebenthene, terebinthine and (colloquially) turps) is a fluid obtained by the distillation of resin harvested from living trees, mainly pines. Mainly used as a special ...

", which suggests a significant presence of the

turpentine tree Turpentine tree may refer to: * ''Pistacia terebinthus'', native to the Mediterranean region * ''Pistacia atlantica'', native to the Middle East, the Maghreb, the Canary Islands and Southeast Europe * '' Pistacia eurycarpa'', native to West Asia * ' ...

terebinth ''Pistacia terebinthus'' also called the terebinth and the turpentine tree, is a deciduous tree species of the genus '' Pistacia'', native to the Mediterranean region from the western regions of Morocco and Portugal to Greece and western and ...

in earlier times. In 857 AD

Patriarch Ignatios of Constantinople St. Ignatius or Ignatios ( el, Ιγνάτιος), (c. 798 – 23 October 877) was a Patriarch of Constantinople from July 4, 847, to October 23, 858, and from November 23, 867, to his death on October 23, 877. In the Catholic Church and East ...

was sent in exile to the island, where he was imprisoned for 10 years before being re-elected as Patriarch in 867 AD. A view from Buyukada

External links

Images of Sedef Island
Islands of the Sea of Marmara Islands of Turkey Neighbourhoods of Adalar, Istanbul Islands of Istanbul Province {{Istanbul-geo-stub

See also

External links