Burgazada has an important history since ancient times. It was home to an enormous castle built by Antigone, Alexander the Great's general. Over time, this castle gave the island its name after Antigone and later became known as "Burgaz" in Greek.
Methodios, one of the respected patriarchs of the Orthodox Church for a while, was imprisoned in a cellar on the island. Today, the Ayios Ioannis Church stands on the site of this crypt. Historically, the island was mostly inhabited by Greeks, and in the 20th century, many Jews from Istanbul settled here. However, with the decline of Turkey's minorities, the local population now closely resembles the rest of Istanbul. The strait surrounding this place has been known as Erebinthus since ancient times. The Byzantines called this place Therebintos or Panormos.
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