Panoramic city view

As you stroll through the gardens behind the mosque, it all clicks into place. No wonder Suleiman chose this hilltop location! This sea of grey domes with slender chimneys stretches all the way down to the Bosporus. From here, you have a magnificent view of the Golden Horn, the city, the Galata Bridge, and its famous namesake tower. Can you spot it? It’s on the opposite river bank, in the northern part of the Golden Horn port – you’ll recognize it by its distinctive pointed roof. Legend has it that in 1348, a Turk fashioned himself artificial wings and jumped from this very tower, flying over the Bosporus for approximately 3.3 km! This edifice was originally built as a watchtower alongside the fortifications of a colony of Genoese, who had made a deal with the Byzantines to settle here. Over time, it served as a fire lookout, a prison, and finally an astronomical observatory. Measuring almost 67 metres high, it was the tallest building in the city at the time. Since the 1960s, it’s been equipped with elevators that take visitors all the way to the top for a panoramic view of Istanbul. It’s one of the city’s most visited monuments.