Eminönü

Eminönü is the historic waterfront hinge of old Istanbul, the crowded quarter where the Golden Horn meets the Bosphorus at the northern edge of the historic peninsula. For centuries it has been the city's commercial engine, and it still throbs with commuters, porters, street vendors and ferry passengers from before dawn until late at night.

Great monuments crowd its shoreline. The domes of the New Mosque rise beside the ferry piers, the aromatic Spice Bazaar spills out behind it heaped with Turkish delight and saffron, and the Galata Bridge, lined with rod-fishermen, carries traffic across the Horn to Karaköy. Sirkeci station, the old terminus of the Orient Express, and the Egyptian-tiled ferry terminals stand just inland.

The district is a working market at heart. Narrow lanes climb toward the Grand Bazaar past hardware stalls, tea wholesalers, spice shops and simit carts, while balık ekmek boats grill fish sandwiches at the quay, rocking on the wash of passing ferries. The scent of roasting chestnuts, cardamom and diesel mingles in an unmistakably Istanbul blend that hangs over the whole waterfront.

For visitors, Eminönü is the great transit hub of the old city. Ferries fan out from here to the Asian shore, the Princes' Islands and up the Bosphorus, making it the ideal launch point for a day on the water, while trams and the Tünel funicular connect it to the wider network. Streets are flat near the shore but steep and dense uphill, and the crowds are relentless, so keep valuables close, come hungry for a fish sandwich, and let the current of the district carry you along toward the bazaars above. Rooftop terraces above the Spice Bazaar hide some of the best-value skyline views in the whole of the old city.