The Bosphorus Suburbs
These days it’s fashionable for architects and critics influenced by the less-is-more aesthetic of Bauhaus masters to sneer at buildings such as…
Must-see attractions in The Bosphorus Suburbs
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This opulently furnished 1865 building was designed by Sarkis Balyan, brother of Nikoğos (architect of Dolmabahçe Palace). It delighted both Sultan Abdül…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Prior to construction of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in the 1980s, this massive fortress was the major landmark on this part of the Bosphorus. Built by…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Established over a century ago to celebrate and commemorate Turkish naval history, this museum's architecturally noteworthy copper-clad exhibition hall…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Housed in an eccentric-looking turreted building known locally as the Perili Köşk (Haunted Mansion), this cultural centre tucked under the western…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Set in a gorgeous garden where masses of tulips and other flowers bloom in spring, this palatial art nouveau villa was built in 1906 as the summer…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Named after the wife of the late Vehbi Koç, founder of Turkey’s foremost commercial empire, this museum is housed in two late-19th-century yalıs and is a…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This elegant baroque-style structure was designed by Nikoğos Balyan, one of the architects of Dolmabahçe Palace, and built for Sultan Abdül Mecit I…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This ornate hunting lodge was built in 1856–57 by order of Sultan Abdül Mecit. Earlier sultans had built wooden kiosks in this idyllic spot where the…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Occupying the warehouse-like Dolmabahçe Palace kitchens, this museum exhibits items used in the royal palaces and pavilions during the late Ottoman Empire…
National Palaces Painting Museum
The Bosphorus Suburbs
The Veliaht Dairesi (Apartments of the Crown Prince) in Dolmabahçe Palace are now home to the palace's collection of paintings. Highlights include the…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Located in the wealthy suburb of Emirgan, this museum has a permanent collection showcasing Ottoman manuscripts and calligraphy, but is best known for its…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Housed in the Koç family's former summer house, this museum houses a notable collection of 36 Anatolian kilims (pileless woven rugs) that was compiled by…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
The beating heart of Beşiktaş, this bustling backstreet area packed with shops, restaurants, bars, cafes – and the neighbourhood’s youthful crowd – is…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Not satisfied with the architectural exertions of his predecessor at Dolmabahçe Palace, Sultan Abdül Aziz (r 1861–76) built his own grand residence at…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This large and leafy retreat is alive with birds, picnicking families and young couples strolling hand in hand. The best time to visit is in April, when…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This ruined medieval castle overlooks both the Black Sea and the Bosphorus, and offers a great view of the Yavuz Sultan Selim (Third) Bridge. It…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
It’s quite a hike up to this small house-museum, named after the Turkish word for ‘bird’s nest’, but the stunning Bosphorus views may well inspire you to…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Almost directly under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on the European shore is this huge stone four-storey mansion, built in the early 20th century for a…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This complex of three buildings on the Bosphorus shore was commissioned by Sultan Abdül Aziz in 1871 to house members of the royal family who could not be…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Past the small village of Çengelköy on the Asian side of the Strait is the imposing Kuleli Military School, built in 1860 and immortalised in Irfan Orga's…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Once home to a daughter of Sultan Murat V, this red-roofed yalı under the Bosphorus Bridge functioned as a school, orphanage and sports centre during the…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
The Fortress of Anatolia (Asia) was built by order of Sultan Beyazıt I in 1393–1395 and it was the place from which he launched the first Ottoman attack…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Extensively damaged in 2018 when an out-of-control Maltese-flagged tanker crashed into it, this 18th-century yalı just north of Anadolu Hisarı was built…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Thought by some critics to be the work of Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco, this gorgeous art nouveau mini-palace was built for Emine Hanım, mother of…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This yalı set in an extensive garden was constructed by the Huber Brothers, weapons brokers who represented the German Mauser and Krupp companies in the…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Built in the early 19th century by the official coffee-maker to Sultan Mahmut II. Look for the upstairs salon, which juts out over the water and is…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
On the hill behind Arnavutköy, the former American College for Girls (established 1871) is now part of the prestigious Robert College. Famous alumni…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Built in the 19th century by Count Leon Ostrorog, a Polish advisor to the Ottoman court, this huge red yalı was visited by French novelist Pierre Loti in…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Once home to a daughter of Sultan Murat V, this huge yalı was built in the 1880s and extensively damaged by fire in 2003. At the time of writing it was…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
Dating from 1760, this long white yalı on the shore between Kandilli and Kuçüksu was built for Grand Vizier Mehmed İzzet Paşa, who served in this position…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
In the square opposite the İstanbul Naval Museum is this Sinan-designed tomb of the admiral of Süleyman the Magnificent's fleet, Barbaros Heyrettin Paşa …
Köprülü Amcazade Hüseyin Paşa Yalı
The Bosphorus Suburbs
A cantilevered box-like structure built for one of Mustafa II's grand viziers in 1698, this is the oldest yalı on the Bosphorus and was undergoing a major…
The Bosphorus Suburbs
A wide white building with a red-tiled roof, this yalı was built in the late 18th century. Composer Franz Liszt stayed in it during his visits to the city.
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This frilly white yalı (seafront mansion) built in the late 19th century was designed by Alexandre Vallaury, architect of the Pera Palas Hotel in Beyoğlu.
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This small mosque in the park to the east of the ferry dock was designed by noted architect Kemaleddin Bey in 1912.
The Bosphorus Suburbs
This small mosque in Kanlıca's main square was designed by Mimar Sinan and built in 1560.
