Tower Across the Water: Sunset in Üsküdar

1. 01
   History

   Read the Fountain on Reclaimed Ground

   At Üsküdar Square, see the fountain commissioned by Ahmed III in 1728 in memory of his mother, Gülnûş Emetullah Sultan. Even the ground beneath it was created later by reclaiming land from the sea with excavation from the nearby mosque. The inscriptions were written by three poets of the period, and the main calligraphy was done by the sultan himself.

   III. Ahmed Çeşmesi (Üsküdar), Istanbul, Turkey
2. 02
   Culture

   Find the Open-Top Tomb

   Visit the courtyard side of the Yeni Valide complex, begun by Gülnûş Emetullah Sultan in 1708, with the mosque opened for worship in 1711. Its real surprise is the tomb: it is not fully enclosed, but covered with a cage-like dome. The arched openings hold bronze grilles, and letting rain reach the grave was a deliberate choice.

   Yeni Valide Külliyesi, Istanbul, Turkey
3. 03
   History

   See the Mosque That Returns Water to the Sea

   At Şemsi Ahmed Paşa Mosque, built by Sinan in 1580, stand where the Bosphorus opens toward the Marmara. This small mosque sits right on the water. According to municipal records, it has a drainage system not seen in Sinan’s other works: during storms, seawater that enters is discharged back into the sea. Its patron died before the mosque was completed.

   Şemsi Ahmed Paşa Camii, Istanbul, Turkey
4. 04
   Photography

   Sit on the Cushions and Wait for the Tower

   End at the Salacak waterfront facing the Maiden’s Tower, the closest point on land to the tower. The shore’s own invention is the cushions spread across the steps: not an official facility, but part of the local sitting culture. Around you are simit sellers, fish sandwich vendors, and chickpea rice carts, while the view tables are limited and fill quickly in the late afternoon.

   Salacak Sahili, Uskudar, Istanbul, Turkey

Check opening hours before you go. Hours, access conditions and weather can change.