Other sights in Istanbul
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Bosphorus Night Cruise
One of the most enjoyable, and certainly most romantic, night-time activities in İstanbul is to take a Bosphorus ferry. Enjoy the view back to the Old City, the twinkling lights, the fishing boats bobbing on the waves and the powerful searchlights of the ferries sweeping the sea lanes.
The best ferry to catch for this purpose is the one from Karaköy (just over the Galata Bridge from Eminönü) to Kadıköy. Just go to Karaköy, buy two tokens (for the voyages out and back) and walk on board. When you reach Kadıköy you could head into the backstreets and grab a bite to eat.
A shorter ride is the one from Eminönü to Üsküdar. When you alight in Üsküdar, you could have a d…
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Büyük Çamlica
The term megalopolis is bandied about a fair bit to describe İstanbul, but it’s only when you come to a spot like this that it becomes meaningful. Larger than many sovereign states, the city sprawls further than the eye can see, even when afforded this bird’s-eye view. And what a view it is! A hilltop park with a crown of pine trees, Büyük Çamlıca is the highest point in the city and can be seen from miles away (you’ll see it as you ferry down the Bosphorus, for example). It’s beloved by İstanbullus, who flock here to relax, picnic in the pretty gardens, enjoy a snack or glass of tea at the Çamlıca Restaurant and gaze upon their fine city. From the terrace…
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Beyazit Square
Beyazıt Sq is officially called Hürriyet Meydanı (Freedom Sq), though everyone knows it simply as Beyazıt. Under the rule of the Byzantines it was called the Forum of Theodosius. Sections of the forum’s columns decorated with stylised oak-knot designs were dug up from the square during the 1950s and can be seen on the other side of Yeniçeriler Caddesi. Today the square is home to street vendors, students from İstanbul University and plenty of pigeons, as well as a few policemen who like to keep an eye on student activities. The square is backed by the impressive portal of İstanbul University. After the Conquest, Mehmet the Conqueror built his first palace here, a wo…
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Tarabya
Originally called Therapia for its healthy climate, the little cove of Tarabya on the European shore has been a favourite summer watering place for İstanbul's well-to-do for centuries, though contemporary developments such as the horrendous multi-storey Grand Hotel Tarabya right on the promontory have poisoned some of its charm. For an account of Therapia in its heyday, read Harold Nicolson's 1921 novel Sweet Waters.
Nicholson, who is best known as Vita Sackville-West's husband, served as the third Secretary in the British Embassy in Constantinople in 1912 to '14, the years of the Balkan wars, and clearly knew Therapia well. In the novel, the main character Eirene, who w…
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Proje4l/Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art
Proje4L was the first of the crop of new, privately endowed museums in the city. Established by local architect and property developer Can Elgiz, it aims to further the understanding and appreciation of international contemporary art in the city and facilitate the globalisation of contemporary Turkish art. The gallery recently moved to its new premises in Maslak, the city’s financial hub. When you exit ITU-Ayazaga metro station, take the underpass and walk towards the plazas (the gallery is in the office development behind the Ziraat Bankası and Sheraton Hotel, accessed via a road to the left of these buildings).
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Sarıyer
The residents of Sarıyer, the next village up from Büyükdere on the European shore, have occupied themselves for most of their history by fishing. This is still a pastime and the main livelihood here, and Sarıyer is justly noted for its good fish restaurants. It's a busy place.
Turn right as you leave the ferry dock, stay as close to the shore as possible, and you will pass the seabus terminal and several fish restaurants before coming to the Tarihi Balıkçılar Çarşısı, the village's historic fish market.
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santralistanbul
İstanbul’s version of the Tate Modern, santralistanbul is a contemporary art gallery housed in a converted power station on the campus of the private Bilgi University. Exhibitions are as big in ambition as they are in size. Get there by bus from Eminönü or catch the free shuttle bus from the Atatürk Cultural Centre in Taksim; these leave every 30 minutes between 8.30am and 9pm.
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Iş Art & Cultural Centre
This sleek venue in the Iş Towers hosts high-profile international musicians (mainly jazz and classical), local theatre and children’s pantomimes. A free shuttle service to here leaves from the front of the parking lot at the Atatürk Cultural Centre in Taksim Sq at 6.30pm on performance days.
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