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Eminönü
Eminönü
In the district of Eminönü, at the entrance to the Haliç, is the Süleymaniye Camii. The mosque’s domes sit piled on top of one another like meringues, towering above the spice market and the maze of streets in Eminönü. The mosque was designed by Mimar Sinan, the most renowned architect of the Ottoman era. It took 3,523 workmen seven years to build and was completed in 1557. The central dome is al most 50 m/170 feet high and 27 m/88 feet in diameter.
The mosque complex has schools, a Turkish bath and a kitchen and hospice for the poor. Do not miss the elaborate tombs of Süleyman the Magnificent and his Hurrem Sultan, Roxelana, in the garden behind the mosque (entrance fee). Sinan himself also has a more modest tomb in the grounds. At night, the minarets of the mosque are framed in a silhouette.
Egyptian Bazaar
The Egyptian Bazaar, also known as the Spice Bazaar, is down the steep hill from the Süleymaniye Camii, close to the ferry terminals. It stands in a large square that has been overtaken by pigeons. The market has a mind-blowing array of brightly colored herbs and spices, including Turkish Viagra, as well as dates, figs, nuts, Turkish delight and fish. The stall owners are more relaxed than those in the Grand Bazaar and you can enjoy munching your way around. The market is always bursting with customers and the crush can be frightening, particularly when goods are moved along the narrow alleys in oversized wheelbarrows.
Behind the Egyptian Bazaar, on a hill leading up to the Süleymaniye Camii, are alleyways with stores selling clothes and kebabs at rock-bottom prices. Farther along are stalls crammed with toys, many of them catering to children with a sense of humor. Bellydancing dolls and meowing furry cats in baskets are among the more bizarre.
Galata
Across the Galata Bridge, lined with hopeful fishermen, lies the area loosely termed Modern Istanbul, even though most of the buildings between Karaköy and Pera are over a century old. The first neighborhood is Karaköy, also known as Galata. It is a bustling and slightly grubby district where fishing trawlers compete for space along the Bosphorus with cruise liners, and banks sit alongside rundown houses. A strange sight is the tendency to have whole streets devoted to selling a particular item, whether it is bicycles or lamps.
The main site in Karaköy is Galata Tower (9am-late), a former prison and Ottoman military base that has risen above the cramped buildings since 1348. It now attracts tourists to its revolving restaurant and shops. You can pay to go on to a very narrow balcony to get unobstructed views of the city, but it is not recommended for the faint-hearted.
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