Where Is Yalı Çapkını (Golden Boy) Filmed? — The Real Istanbul Mansion & Locations

Yalı Çapkını (Golden Boy) is filmed in Istanbul, and the famous waterfront mansion — the Korhan family yalı at the heart of the show — is a real building: the Sakıp Sabancı Yalısı in Beylerbeyi, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus. Historically known as the Şevket Paşa Yalısı, it's a roughly 150-year-old Ottoman-era mansion owned by the Sabancı family. It is private property, so you can't go inside, but you can see it from the Beylerbeyi waterfront and — best of all — from the water on a Bosphorus cruise. The show's season 1 opening scenes were filmed in Gaziantep, Seyran's hometown, and many interior scenes are shot on studio sets.

This guide covers every location worth visiting, how to reach each one from Sultanahmet, and what it costs. If you're planning a broader dizi pilgrimage, start with our overview of Turkish series filming locations in Istanbul — Yalı Çapkını is one of several shows you can cover in a single Bosphorus day.

The Korhan Mansion — Sakıp Sabancı Yalısı, Beylerbeyi

Since its premiere on Star TV in 2022, Yalı Çapkını has made one building world-famous: the white waterfront mansion where Ferit (Mert Ramazan Demir), Seyran (Afra Saraçoğlu), and the formidable Halis Ağa live out the family's dramas. That mansion is the Sakıp Sabancı Yalısı on the Beylerbeyi shoreline, in Istanbul's Üsküdar district.

A few things worth knowing about the real building:

• It's genuinely historic. The yalı dates back to the Ottoman era and was originally known as the Şevket Paşa Yalısı. It was later acquired by Sakıp Sabancı, one of Turkey's best-known industrialists, and carefully restored under heritage-protection rules.
• It's still privately owned by the Sabancı family. Turkish media reported in 2024 that it was put up for sale for around 1.25 billion lira — which tells you something about what a Bosphorus yalı is worth.
• The exterior scenes are real. The garden, the waterfront facade, and the boat-landing scenes you see in the show were filmed at the actual yalı. Many interiors, however, are studio recreations (more on that below).

One note of honesty: a couple of early Turkish news reports named the nearby Hasip Paşa Yalısı — another historic mansion on the same Beylerbeyi shore — as the filming location. The overwhelming majority of reporting, including the coverage of the mansion's sale, confirms the Sakıp Sabancı Yalısı. Either way, your destination is the same short stretch of the Beylerbeyi waterfront.

Don't confuse it with Emirgan. The Sabancı family's other famous property, the Sakıp Sabancı Museum (Atlı Köşk), is in Emirgan on the European shore. That one is a museum you can visit — but it is not the Yalı Çapkını house. The show's yalı is in Beylerbeyi, on the opposite, Asian shore.

Can You See the Yalı? Visiting Beylerbeyi

Yes — from the outside. The yalı is a private residence and a working film set, so there are no tours and no entry. But Beylerbeyi itself is a lovely, low-key Bosphorus village and absolutely worth the trip. Walk the shoreline street (Yalıboyu), have tea under the plane trees by the ferry pier, and see the waterfront facades from the public quay.

Etiquette matters here. Beylerbeyi is a residential neighborhood, and on filming days you may see crew and security around the mansion. Photograph from public areas only, don't ring bells or approach gates, keep your drone in the bag (the Bosphorus is a no-fly zone anyway), and if filming is underway, follow the crew's directions. Fans who behave well are the reason locations like this stay accessible.

How to get there from Sultanahmet:

1. Walk 15 minutes from Sultanahmet down to the Eminönü ferry terminal.
2. Take the ferry across to Üsküdar (about 15 minutes on the water — roughly 59 TL with an Istanbulkart, and one of the most scenic public-transport rides in Europe).
3. From Üsküdar, take bus 15 (or 15F/15P) a few stops along the coast road to Beylerbeyi — around 15 minutes, 42 TL with the Istanbulkart.

Total journey: about 45 minutes each way. Walking around Beylerbeyi is completely free. While you're there, the Beylerbeyi Palace — the Ottoman sultans' summer palace, 10 minutes' walk from the yalı — is a worthwhile paid add-on that most tourists skip. For current ticket and transport prices across the city, see our Istanbul costs and prices guide.

Seeing the Yalı from the Water — the Best View There Is

A yalı is built to be seen from the water — that's the whole point of the architecture — and the camera in Yalı Çapkını agrees: the show's signature shots approach the mansion from the Bosphorus. You can recreate that exact view cheaply.

From the hotel, walk 15 minutes to Eminönü pier, where the state-run Şehir Hatları ferries depart. Two good options:

• The short Bosphorus cruise (about 2 hours). The boat loops up the strait and back, passing both shores. The Beylerbeyi waterfront — with the yalı — comes along the Asian shore near the first bridge, shortly after Üsküdar. The decks are open, so move to whichever side faces Asia as you pass; the white facade and garden are easy to spot just north of Beylerbeyi Palace.
• The Üsküdar ferry + waterfront walk combo. Cheaper and more flexible: cross to Üsküdar, bus to Beylerbeyi, see the yalı from the quay, then walk the shore to Çengelköy for tea. This is the route we most often recommend at the front desk.

Şehir Hatları boats are the cheapest and most reliable; you can pay with an Istanbulkart. Private tour boats also leave from Eminönü and often announce dizi locations over the loudspeaker, but they cost more for essentially the same water.

Morning light is best for photographing the Asian shore — plan the cruise before noon if the yalı photo is your priority.

Other Istanbul Locations in the Show

Yalı Çapkını is very much a Bosphorus show, and several recurring settings are real places:

• Ferit's jewelry workshop. Ferit's storyline as a young jeweler is filmed in a historic han (Ottoman-era trade building), according to Turkish press reports. The production doesn't publicize the exact address, but Istanbul's historic hans cluster around the Grand Bazaar — a 5-minute walk from Hotel Perula — and wandering their courtyards gives you precisely the atmosphere of those scenes.
• Bosphorus neighborhoods. Street, restaurant, and driving scenes have been reported in Arnavutköy, Bebek, and Emirgan on the European shore — all classic, wealthy waterfront villages that are pleasant stops on any Bosphorus day.
• One-off locations. The production travels for special episodes: a lake scene was filmed in Şile on the Black Sea coast, and holiday episodes used a resort hotel near Marmaris. Neither is practical (or necessary) for a normal Istanbul trip.

The Gaziantep Scenes — Where Seyran's Story Begins

Season 1 opens in Gaziantep, the southeastern city Seyran and Suna's family comes from, and those scenes were genuinely filmed there. Turkish media identified the Millet Hanı, a restored historic caravanserai, and the Bakırcılar Çarşısı (Coppersmiths' Bazaar) among the locations.

Should you go? Gaziantep is a 2-hour flight from Istanbul — this is not a day trip. If you're a serious fan (or a serious eater: Gaziantep is Turkey's food capital and the home of baklava), it makes a memorable 2-day side trip. For everyone else, the Istanbul locations deliver the heart of the show.

The Studio Interiors — What Not to Look For

Like almost every big Turkish dizi, Yalı Çapkını shoots many interior scenes on purpose-built studio sets rather than inside the real mansion — a 150-year-old protected building can't host a film crew every week. The production doesn't officially publicize its studio facility, and studios are closed to visitors in any case.

So don't plan a trip around finding "Ferit and Seyran's bedroom" — it exists on a soundstage. What is real: the yalı's exterior, the garden, the Beylerbeyi waterfront, the Bosphorus itself. That's where the show's world actually lives, and it's all visitable.

A Half-Day Yalı Çapkını Itinerary from Sultanahmet

• 9:00 — Walk from the hotel to Eminönü (15 min), ferry to Üsküdar
• 9:45 — Bus 15 along the coast to Beylerbeyi
• 10:15 — Beylerbeyi waterfront: see the yalı, tea by the pier
• 11:30 — Optional: Beylerbeyi Palace
• 13:00 — Waterfront walk to Çengelköy, lunch by the water
• 15:00 — Ferry back to Eminönü, evening in Sultanahmet

Back at base, the old city takes over — our Sultanahmet guide covers what to do with the rest of your day. And if you're also a Kara Sevda fan, Kuzguncuk — Kemal's neighborhood — is one stop before Beylerbeyi on the same shore; see our Kara Sevda filming locations guide to combine both in one outing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Yalı Çapkını mansion?

The Korhan family mansion is the Sakıp Sabancı Yalısı (historically the Şevket Paşa Yalısı) in Beylerbeyi, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul's Üsküdar district. It stands on the waterfront just north of Beylerbeyi Palace. It is not in Emirgan — the Sabancı property there is a different building, the Sakıp Sabancı Museum.

Can you visit the Yalı Çapkını house?

No — it's a privately owned residence and an active filming location, so there are no tours or interior visits. You can see the exterior for free from the Beylerbeyi public waterfront, or from the water on a Bosphorus cruise. Please photograph from public areas only and respect the neighborhood's privacy.

Was Yalı Çapkını really filmed in Gaziantep?

Yes. The season 1 opening scenes, set in Seyran's hometown, were filmed in Gaziantep — Turkish media identified the historic Millet Hanı and the Coppersmiths' Bazaar among the locations. After the story moves to Istanbul, filming is based around the Bosphorus and studio sets, with only occasional trips elsewhere.

What's the best way to see the yalı from the water?

Take a Şehir Hatları Bosphorus cruise from Eminönü — the state ferries are the cheapest and pass the Beylerbeyi shoreline where the yalı stands, near the first bridge. Alternatively, ferry to Üsküdar and bus to Beylerbeyi to see it from the quay. Eminönü pier is a 15-minute walk from Hotel Perula, and morning departures have the best light for the Asian shore.