What Aqua Florya is
Aqua Florya is the shopping and entertainment mall that shares the complex with Istanbul Aquarium on the Florya seafront. The aquarium entrance is on the ground floor of the complex, and the aquarium exit delivers you, through the gift shop, into the mall. It is a mid-sized mall by Istanbul standards, with a sea-facing terrace, a food court, restaurants with sea views, a cinema, and the usual Turkish and international chains.
For visitors it matters for three reasons: it is where you eat, it is where you wait if you arrive before opening or finish early, and its 10:00–22:00 hours outlast the aquarium's.
Eating
- Food court: the fast option with children, familiar chains and Turkish fast food (döner, pide, köfte), high chairs available.
- Sea-view restaurants: the terrace side has sit-down restaurants and cafés facing the Marmara; the pleasant choice for a longer lunch after the aquarium.
- Cafés: several coffee chains for a break, plus the café inside the aquarium route for snacks and drinks.
Prices are normal Istanbul mall prices, noticeably below Sultanahmet tourist prices. Cards are accepted everywhere.
Cinema and play
The multiplex shows current releases; foreign films are usually in the original language with Turkish subtitles, animated films are dubbed. Showtimes on the mall's site. There is an indoor children's play area, useful when a younger child has had enough of fish and an older one has not.
Shops
Turkish high-street brands, sportswear, a supermarket for snacks and water, pharmacies, and phone shops if you need a Turkish SIM. Nothing you will not find in the centre, but convenient.
Planning the mall around the aquarium
- Arrive at the aquarium at opening (10:00), spend 2–3 hours, lunch in the mall at 13:00, then either the coast path outside or the Marmaray back.
- If you arrive early, the mall cafés open at 10:00 too; there is no benefit to being at the aquarium door before opening on a weekday.
- Toilets, baby-changing and pharmacies are in the mall; there are toilets along the aquarium route as well.
Beyond the mall
The Florya coast path, Atatürk's seaside residence and the Yeşilköy waterfront are all a short walk. See what is nearby.
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat inside Istanbul Aquarium?+
There is a café partway along the route for snacks and drinks. Proper meals are in the Aqua Florya mall, which you reach at the exit. You cannot re-enter the aquarium after leaving.
What are the mall's hours?+
10:00 to 22:00 daily, later than the aquarium, so you can eat and shop after your visit.
Is there a cinema?+
Yes, a multiplex inside the mall. Most foreign films are shown in the original language with Turkish subtitles; animated films are usually dubbed.
Keep planning
Aquarium Florya is an independent visitor guide. It is not the official website of İstanbul Akvaryum; official information and gate tickets are at istanbulakvaryum.com. istanbulakvaryum.com