Ortakoy

Ortakoy is the postcard Bosphorus. The Buyuk Mecidiye Mosque, known to everyone as the Ortakoy Mosque, was built in the mid-nineteenth century for Sultan Abdulmecid by the Balyan family of architects, who also built Dolmabahce Palace, and it shares that palace's exuberant mix of Ottoman and European baroque: tall arched windows that flood the small prayer hall with light reflected off the water, slender minarets and a facade carved like a jewelry box. It sits on a little square at the very edge of the Bosphorus, directly beneath the first Bosphorus Bridge, now officially the 15 July Martyrs Bridge, so the mosque, the bridge and the hills of the Asian shore line up in one frame. The village around it was historically a mixed community, with a Greek Orthodox church and a synagogue a few streets apart from the mosque, a reminder of how Istanbul's communities lived side by side along the shore. Today Ortakoy is a weekend favorite for Istanbullus: the lanes behind the square are packed with cafes and stalls selling kumpir, giant baked potatoes stuffed with a dozen fillings, and Belgian-style waffles piled with fruit and chocolate, and small sellers offer jewelry and crafts on weekends. The mosque is free to visit outside prayer times, with the usual modest dress, and the square is open around the clock. It is best in the evening, when the bridge lights change color and the mosque glows on the water.

Getting there: Ortakoy is on the coast road north of Besiktas, a short bus or taxi ride from Taksim, Kabatas or Dolmabahce, or a pleasant walk of around half an hour along the shore from Besiktas, past Ciragan Palace. Many Bosphorus cruises pass right in front of the mosque, but seeing it from the square, with the bridge looming overhead, is a different experience. Traffic on the coast road can be heavy in the evening and at weekends, so allow extra time and consider walking from Besiktas, where the ferries stop.

What to do: visit the mosque first, outside prayer times, and look up at the light falling through the high windows. Then take the classic photo from the end of the square or from the small pier, with the mosque framed by the bridge. Stroll the lanes for kumpir, which is the local tradition, and sit at a waterside cafe for tea. If you want a longer evening, Ortakoy has bars and restaurants with Bosphorus views, and the waterfront between Ortakoy and Kurucesme is home to some of the city's best-known nightclubs and seafood restaurants, which are expensive but spectacular in summer.

Things to know: weekends, especially Sunday afternoons, are very busy, and the square can feel crowded with selfie-takers. Weekday mornings are calm and best for photographs, while sunset and evening bring the most atmosphere. The craft stalls are at their fullest on weekends. Ortakoy combines easily with Dolmabahce Palace in the morning, lunch in Besiktas and an afternoon walk along the Bosphorus shore, or with a trip further north to Bebek, Rumeli Fortress and the cafes of Arnavutkoy, one of the finest shoreline walks in the city. If you are staying near the old city, the trip makes a good half-day outing on its own: take the tram to Kabatas, a bus or taxi up the coast road, and plan to stay until the bridge is lit. For a different angle on the same view, many evening Bosphorus cruises pass directly in front of the mosque, and seeing it from the water first, then from the square on another day, shows how carefully its builders placed it at the edge of the strait. Bring cash for the stalls, as some smaller sellers prefer it.