Rooftops in Istanbul: the city on two continents from above
Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul
Turkey's largest city, Istanbul has nearly 16 million inhabitants and stretches along both sides of the Bosphorus, the strait that links the Black Sea to the Sea of Marmara and separates Europe from Asia. Founded by Greek colonists under the name of Byzantium, it became Constantinople in 330, when Emperor Constantine made it his capital, and then remained the heart of the Byzantine Empire for more than a thousand years. Conquered in 1453 by Sultan Mehmed II, it became the capital of the Ottoman Empire until the founding of the Republic, which moved the government to Ankara in 1923. Its historic areas have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1985.
On the European shore, the historic peninsula, between the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara, is home to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Süleymaniye Mosque. On the other side of the Golden Horn, the neighbourhoods of Galata, Karaköy and Beyoğlu climb towards Taksim Square, while the shores of the Bosphorus are lined with palaces, mosques and yalı. Opposite, the Asian shore, with Üsküdar and Kadıköy, looks out over the entire skyline of the old city.
Why head up high
Istanbul is a city of hills: from a top floor, you can see water on several sides at once, with domes and minarets silhouetted against the sky, ferries criss-crossing between the two continents and suspension bridges spanning the strait. The city's rooftops sit atop luxury hotels, old buildings, a former bank or a modern tower. Many combine an open-air terrace with a glass-walled room open all year round, and a few only come to life in the warmer months.
Where to head up high in Istanbul
In the old city, facing the monuments
In Sultanahmet, Seven Hills Restaurant offers, from the roof of its hotel, one of the most photographed views in the city: Hagia Sophia on one side, the Blue Mosque on the other and the Sea of Marmara in the background, from Turkish breakfast to seafood dinners. A few streets further down, on Akbıyık Street, Queb Rooftop crowns The Byzantium hotel, facing the six minarets of the Blue Mosque. On Divanyolu, the avenue followed by the tram, Loti Roof Lounge, on the top floor of the Pierre Loti Hotel, serves Turkish and international cuisine beneath a retractable roof, summer and winter alike.
In Beyoğlu and Karaköy, above the Golden Horn
At the top of The Marmara Pera hotel, Mikla combines a Michelin-starred restaurant with a bar on its roof terrace, from which the view takes in Galata Tower, the Golden Horn and the historic peninsula. On İstiklal Avenue, 360 Istanbul has occupied the top floor of an old building for more than twenty years: a restaurant behind large picture windows from lunchtime onwards, it turns into a club late at night. Down below, by the water, The Bank Roof Bar has set its wooden terrace on the 7th floor of a former 19th-century bank, on Bankalar Street, facing Hagia Sophia and Topkapı Palace, with cocktails that tell the story of a journey around the Mediterranean.
In Beşiktaş and Nişantaşı, facing the Bosphorus
On Maçka hill, 16 Roof crowns the Swissôtel The Bosphorus: the strait, Dolmabahçe Mosque and the Asian shore open up on a grand scale, with sushi and a DJ every evening. Not far away, on the roof of the Ritz-Carlton, The Roof is a summer terrace with an infinity pool overlooking the Bosphorus, open in the warmer months. In the heart of the fashion district, Spago, Wolfgang Puck's restaurant on the roof of the St. Regis, looks out over Maçka Park and the Bosphorus in the distance, with a terrace open all year round.
On the Asian shore
In Kalamış, in the Kadıköy district, Ouzo Roof occupies the roof of the Wyndham Grand Kalamış Marina: fish, mezze and rakı facing the boats in the marina and the Sea of Marmara, with live Turkish and Greek music several evenings a week. Higher than all the others, on Çamlıca hill in Üsküdar, the 360 Kule café-restaurant occupies the 39th and 40th floors of the television tower, nearly 400 metres above sea level: there is no terrace here, but a glass-walled room from which you can take in the Bosphorus, its bridges and both shores.
Cocktails, rakı and budget
Prices in Turkish lira
Prices are shown in Turkish lira (TL) and change quickly. As alcohol is heavily taxed, it is often the most expensive item on the bill: expect around 700 to 800 TL for a cocktail at Loti Roof Lounge, 950 to 980 TL at Mikla, 1,100 TL at 360 Istanbul and from 1,110 to 1,350 TL at Seven Hills or The Bank Roof Bar. Rakı, an aniseed spirit diluted with water, traditionally accompanies mezze and fish.
A rooftop for every occasion
As a couple, with friends or with family
For a special occasion, Mikla and Spago make an impression; for a first visit, the terraces of Sultanahmet put the monuments right before your eyes from breakfast onwards. With friends, the evenings at 16 Roof and 360 Istanbul carry on into the night, while The Bank Roof Bar lends itself to a sunset aperitif. For a change of shore, Ouzo Roof and 360 Kule offer a different view of the city, from Asia.
Getting around easily
Tram T1 serves Sultanahmet and Karaköy, metro line M2 links Şişhane, Taksim and Osmanbey, and the historic Tünel funicular climbs from Karaköy to İstiklal Avenue; the F1 funicular runs up from Kabataş to Taksim. To cross from one continent to the other, ferries sail to Kadıköy and Üsküdar from Karaköy, Eminönü or Beşiktaş, and the Marmaray runs beneath the Bosphorus. The Istanbulkart card works on all these forms of transport. For the hotels perched on the hills, such as the Swissôtel, and for Çamlıca Tower, a taxi is often the simplest option.
Tips for making the most of Istanbul's rooftops
Season, booking and dress code
Summers are hot and winters cool and rainy: open-air terraces are at their liveliest from April to October, and The Roof closes out of season, while glass-walled rooms and retractable roofs let you enjoy the view all year round. At sunset, when the minarets light up, the tables at the edge of the terrace go fast: book ahead. Finally, smart casual dress is expected in luxury hotels, such as at Mikla, 16 Roof or Spago, and a service charge of around 10% is customary if it is not already included.
Photo : Arild Vågen / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0