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Üsküdar district

35 Şemsi Sinan Caddesi, Mimar Sinan, İstanbul

Description

Üsküdar is a large district and municipality on the Anatolian shore of Istanbul, directly opposite Beyoğlu, and Eminönü across the Bosphorus which are nowadays linked by bridges, ferries and underground lines. The city was founded by Greek colonists as Chrysopolis in the 7th century BC, before Byzanthium and changed its name to Skoutarion (or Scutari) in the 12th century, a few decades before it fell to the Ottoman in 1338. Highlights include the Beylerbeyi Palace, the Maiden's Tower (150m off the shore), Yeni Valide Mosque, Salacak promenade, the Kuzguncuk neighbourhood, Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Şakirin Mosque, and the Karacaahmet Cemetery.

Access & Transport

The best way to get there from the Eminönü side is by metro (Marmaray line to Üsküdar station) and ferry (Hatları and Turyol piers). From Beşiktaş and Kabataş, there are ferries across as well and the Bosphorus bridge is also an option. Within the district, the M5 metro line and buses are the best alternatives.

Instructions & Recommendations

We suggest allocating half a day to discover various monuments and neighbourhoods and visit the Beylerbeyi Palace (refer to separate review).

Meta review

The stars of Üsküdar for tourists are the Maiden Tower and the Beylerbeyi Palace. Beyond those, travellers really enjoy the old but trendy neighbourhood of Kuzguncuk with its narrow streets, colourful houses, art and coffee shops. In term of mosques, Yeni Valide and Mihrimah Sultan seem to be the most popular with foreign visitors. In the former, they enjoy the 19th century mosaics but admit that it can't be compared to the largest mosques in Sultanahmet. The latter gets excellent review for its architecture, in many ways similar to Suleymaniye Mosque since it was designed by the same architect (Mimar Sinan), but without the crowds.

Environmental & Social

Urban environment with very few green spaces. Not overly commercial so some degree of tourism is economically helpful.

Conclusion

There may not be any "top 10" attraction in Uskudar but for anybody with more than 3 days in Istanbul, a visit would not be complete without a few hours spent on the Asian shores. There are mosques and neighbourhoods to discover as well as a much more "authentic" local life.

Key positive

Several attractions within walking distance of each other

Less touristy and less hustle

Key negative

None

Suitability

No restrictions

About this Rating

TYPE

Desktop

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit

av. transport time:0h 40m

est. visit time:2h 30m

Sunlight based

Sunrise / early morningOk

MorningOk

Lunch timeOk

AfternoonOk

Sunset / eveningOk

Night – bef. midnightNo

Night – aft. midnightNo

Pricing
Free

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