Free interactive guide
Bosphorus Landmarks Guide
Twelve palaces, fortresses, mosques and bridges line the Istanbul Bosphorus between Karaköy and the second bridge. Tap any point on the strait map to read its story — and use the built-in audio guide to listen as you sail.
Galata Tower
Built by the Genoese in 1348 as the high point of their fortified colony, the Galata Tower has watched over the harbour entrance for almost seven centuries. It survived fires and earthquakes, later serving the Ottomans as a fire-watch station, and its conical cap is the first landmark most travellers recognise on the European skyline.
A round stone tower with a pointed roof rising above the rooftops just behind the Karaköy waterfront.
See these landmarks from the water
Every landmark in this guide is on the route of our shared Bosphorus cruises. The 2-hour sunset cruise covers the southern corridor through to Rumeli Fortress, with a live guide and a 12-language on-board audio system.