The Fortress of Anatolia (Asia) was built by order of Sultan Beyazıt I in 1393–1395 and it was the place from which he launched the first Ottoman attack on Constantinople. A road was punched through its defensive wall in the 20th century and it is now dwarfed by the huge Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge. It is now little but an evocative ruin.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
6.85 MILES
Right in the heart of İstanbul’s historic center, this sacred Byzantine building remains an important symbol of power.
6.5 MILES
Topkapı is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful…
7.55 MILES
İstanbul has more than its fair share of Byzantine monuments, but few are as drop-dead gorgeous as this mosaic- and fresco-laden church. Nestled in the…
7.05 MILES
The Süleymaniye crowns one of İstanbul's seven hills and dominates the Golden Horn, providing a landmark for the entire city. Though it's not the largest…
6.89 MILES
This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was…
7.09 MILES
İstanbul's most photogenic building was the grand project of Sultan Ahmet I (r 1603–17), whose tomb is located on the north side of the site facing…
7.13 MILES
The colourful and chaotic Grand Bazaar is the heart of İstanbul's Old City and has been so for centuries. Starting as a small vaulted bedesten (warehouse)…
5.9 MILES
There's plenty to see at this impressive museum, but its major draw is undoubtedly the 2nd-floor exhibition of paintings featuring Turkish Orientalist…
Nearby attractions
0.27 MILES
This ornate hunting lodge was built in 1856–57 by order of Sultan Abdül Mecit. Earlier sultans had built wooden kiosks in this idyllic spot where the…
2. Köprülü Amcazade Hüseyin Paşa Yalı
0.43 MILES
A cantilevered box-like structure built for one of Mustafa II's grand viziers in 1698, this is the oldest yalı on the Bosphorus and was undergoing a major…
0.45 MILES
Dating from 1760, this long white yalı on the shore between Kandilli and Kuçüksu was built for Grand Vizier Mehmed İzzet Paşa, who served in this position…
0.51 MILES
Built in the 19th century by Count Leon Ostrorog, a Polish advisor to the Ottoman court, this huge red yalı was visited by French novelist Pierre Loti in…
0.58 MILES
Prior to construction of the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in the 1980s, this massive fortress was the major landmark on this part of the Bosphorus. Built by…
6. Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Yalı
0.59 MILES
Extensively damaged in 2018 when an out-of-control Maltese-flagged tanker crashed into it, this 18th-century yalı just north of Anadolu Hisarı was built…
0.68 MILES
It’s quite a hike up to this small house-museum, named after the Turkish word for ‘bird’s nest’, but the stunning Bosphorus views may well inspire you to…
0.72 MILES
Built in the early 19th century by the official coffee-maker to Sultan Mahmut II. Look for the upstairs salon, which juts out over the water and is…