Çamlıca Hill

The highest point on the Asian side of Istanbul, this hill above Üsküdar has long been a favoured spot for panoramic views across the city and the Bosphorus. Its terraced gardens and cafés draw visitors seeking a broad outlook over the historic peninsula and the strait's bridges. In recent years a vast new mosque and a towering telecommunications structure have joined the traditional viewpoint, reshaping the skyline. Long celebrated by Ottoman-era poets and painters as a retreat, the hilltop still reveals the full sweep of the great city.