When I travel to different cities, I certainly try to visit the observation decks. From vantage points, you can see a lot of details that are inaccessible to a hiker, or look at many sights in one go. In this article, I have collected several observation decks of amazing Istanbul.
Galata Tower
One of the first places travelers visit in Istanbul is the famous Galata Tower. It can be seen from many points of the huge city. Under the dome of the building, in turn, there is a large observation deck.
The building that we see today was built in 1348-1349. Before that, there was another tower here, it was erected in the 6th century. In guidebooks you can find information that in the 17th century a flight across the Bosphorus was made from the tower. A man named Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi performed it on wooden wings. Whether this is true or not, I don't know.
The tower is located near the pedestrian Istiklal Street. The cost of climbing to the observation deck is 175 lire (summer 2022).
Topkapi Palace
Another popular place among tourists is the Topkapi Palace, also located in the European part of Istanbul, however, it is separated from the Galata Tower by the Golden Horn Bay.
The palace was built from the middle of the 15th century. Now the vast territory of the complex has been turned into a museum space. There is a park area, several exhibition pavilions and buildings where you can look at interesting exhibits or admire the architecture. In the northern part of the palace there are several zones, from where a panoramic view of the Bosphorus and both parts of the huge metropolis opens.
The entrance fee to the territory of the complex is 320 Turkish lira (autumn 2022).
Suleymaniye Mosque
The iconic building is located about two kilometers from the Topkapi Palace. The age of construction is more than 460 years, the mosque was built in 1550-1557.
Many tourists come here not only to look at the interiors of the building, but also to look at the city from the observation deck, which is located in the northern part of the complex.
On the same side of the Golden Horn there is another mosque, it is called Yavuz-Selim. Its observation deck also offers an excellent view of the ancient city.
The main advantage of the observation points at Istanbul mosques is that you can get here completely free of charge.
Eyupsultan cable car
Even further away is the Eyupsultan cable car. From its upper station you can look at the Golden Horn Bay and the European part of the city.
An unusual attraction was opened in 2005. The length of the route is 384 meters, there are only two stations here, you can get from one to the other in about three minutes. You can pay for the fare with the Istanbulkart transport card.
Great Mosque of Çamlıca
We are going to the Asian part of Istanbul. Here is the Çamlıca Mosque, the largest of all Turkish buildings of this kind. The opening of the attraction took place in 2019. The building is capable of accommodating 63,000 worshipers.
The mosque has a large platform overlooking the Bosphorus.
Not far from here rises the TV tower of the same name. I met information that a high-altitude observation deck is also located here. Admittedly, I haven't been there yet.
Bridges of Istanbul
Another great option for a budget traveler is to see the city from its bridges. A good view of the central part of Istanbul opens, for example, from the Haliç metro bridge. It crosses the Golden Horn Bay.
Of course, these are far from all the observation platforms that offer a magnificent view of Istanbul, so in the future I will definitely continue stories about the best observation points of this amazing city.
Have a nice trip!
