Bakirköy, city in northwestern Turkey, a western suburb of Istanbul, in Istanbul province. Located on the northeastern coast of the Sea of Marmara, Bakirköy is a densely populated residential area and an important shopping and trade center for Istanbul. The Atatürk International Airport, which serves Istanbul, is located here. Among the interesting structures in Bakirköy is the Veli Efendi Hippodrome, built in 1913 for horse racing. Known in the days of the Roman Empire (44 BC-AD 476) as Hebdomon, Bakirköy became a popular residential area in the late 19th century after the construction of a railroad connection to Istanbul. Bakirköy was incorporated as a town in the early 20th century. Population (1990) 1,328,276.
