Closed to the public, this 85m-tall tower sits on top of one of the seven hills on which Constantine the Great built the city, following the model of Rome. Commissioned by Mahmut II, the stone tower was designed by Senekerim Balyan and built in 1828. It was used by the İstanbul Fire Department to spot fires until 1993. The coloured lights on it indicate weather conditions – blue for clear and sunny, green for rain, yellow for fog and red for snow.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.82 MILES
Right in the heart of İstanbul’s historic center, this sacred Byzantine building remains an important symbol of power.
0.97 MILES
Topkapı is the subject of more colourful stories than most of the world's museums put together. Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful…
1.87 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…
0.24 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…
0.75 MILES
This subterranean structure was commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in 532. The largest surviving Byzantine cistern in İstanbul, it was…
0.8 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…
0.2 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)…
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1.44 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 Istanbul attractions
0.12 MILES
Adjoining Beyazıt Sq, this is the largest of the city's universities and has a history dating back to early Ottoman times. It moved to this location in…
0.13 MILES
Occupying the former imaret (soup kitchen) and kervansaray (caravanserai) of the Beyazıt Mosque's külliye, this library has recently been the subject of a…
0.16 MILES
The second imperial mosque built in İstanbul (after the Fatih Camii), Beyazıt Camii was constructed between 1501 and 1506 by order of Beyazıt II, son of…
0.18 MILES
Commissioned by Murat IV's mother, Kösem Valide Sultan, this massive han (caravanserai) was built in 1651 and originally housed up to 3000 travellers and…
0.18 MILES
In Byzantine times, this square was called the Forum of Theodosius. Today it's home to street vendors, students from the adjoining İstanbul University and…
6. Tombs of Süleyman & Roxelana
0.19 MILES
To the right (southeast) of the main entrance to the Süleymaniye mosque is its cemetery, home to the octagonal tombs of Süleyman and his wife Haseki…
0.2 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)…
0.24 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…