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Maiden Tower & Old Town View from Üsküdar, Istanbul Üsküdar provides one of the nicest viewpoints in Istanbul, even though it does not provide a view from above. But therefore it is one of the best spots to see the sun going down over the historical district of Sultanahmet with the Topkapi Palace, the Blue Mosque and the Haiga Sophia. And of course the  Maiden´s Tower , another one of Istanbul's famous landmarks, prominently situated some hundred meters off the Üsküdar shore. The most renowned sad legend says an emperor had a much beloved daughter and an oracle prophesied that she would be killed by a snake on her 18th birthday. The emperor, to keep his daughter away from land, had the tower built in the middle of the Bosphorus to protect his daughter until her 18th birthday. On the 18th birthday of the princess, the emperor brought her a basket of exotic sumptuous fruits as a birthday gift, delighted that he was able to prevent the prophecy. Upon reaching in...

Yet another hidden gem in the always surprising city of Istanbul is located on the Asian side, in Kadiköy. There, located in some in the first glimpse normal streets of a standard neighborhood of Istanbul, around almost every corner there is an impressive piece of street art to find .  Backstreet Street Art The street art in the backstreets of Kadiköy mainly features murals  which have been painted during the Muralist Festival   2012 and 2013. For those who wonder what a mural is, a mural is is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. But now some of those impressive and marvelous murals should speak for themselves. Here are three out of eleven wall high murals, not counting all the graffitis which are to be found around the area.  Occupy Antartica from B.Shanti of the artist collective " Captain Borderline ".  Elephant at Night by South African rooted artist Freddy Sam  Re...

View from Camlica up the Bosphorus Camlica Hill is probably the number one spot for watching the sunset over Istanbul. It offers a unique perspective on the city, overlooking the old town - Sultanahmet, the areas of Besikatas and Beyoglu, the first Bosphorus Bridge and the main Istanbul waterway, the Bosphorus. If the weather conditions allow it, it is even possible to see the Princes Islands and the famous Mount Uludag near Bursa. Camlica Hill - The view over Istanbul View from Camlica down the Bosphorus Camlica is located about 4km from Üsküdar and divided into two hills: Kücük Camlica (‘Little Pine Hill’) and Büyük Camlica (‘Big Pine Hill’). Büyük Camlica is the highest point in Istanbul at 267m above sea level. Therefore providing the best views of Istanbul. Nevertheless Kücük CAmlica is worth visiting too, being more peaceful and offering beautiful gardens, forests and walking trails. Especially during the spring time Camlica is worth a visit, as in anticipati...

Yet another sight in Istanbul, but one which is often not overseen but not visited. Assumingly because it is a little bit of the beaten track and located in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul. Nevertheless the Haydarpasa Railway Station is for sure one of most grand and important symbols of the city. It is situated next to the wharf in Kadiköy and has a unique architecture, representing German renaissance.  Neoclassical Haydarpasa Railway Station Haydarpasa Railway Station, Kadiköy, Istanbul © Nevit Dilmen The neoclassical Haydarpasa  building, basically a gift to the Sultan  Abdul Hamid II   from German Kaiser Wilhelm II, was built by the Anatolia-Baghdad Corporation, according to plans carried out by the German architects  Otto Ritter von Kühlmann and Hellmuth Cuno,  between 1906 and 1908. Its foundation is 1100 wooden piles, each 21 meters long, driven into the mushy shore by steam hammer. It outer appearance resembles to a certain d...