Üsküdar

Üsküdar Review

One of the oldest inhabited areas on the Asian shore, Üsküdar takes its name from the 7th-century BC settlement of Scutari, though nothing now remains of that ancient town. Today, Üsküdar is a conservative residential neighborhood with a handful of noteworthy Ottoman mosques. The waterfront is set to change dramatically with the opening of the long-awaited Marmaray, a rail tunnel under the Bosphorus that will transport passengers from Üsküdar to Sirkeci in just four minutes (the expected completion date is late 2013). The ferry landing is dominated by Sinan's pretty, if somewhat dark, Mihrimah Sultan Camii, also known as the Iskele Camii (built 1548). The large Yeni Valide Camii from 1710 and another Sinan mosque, the small, beautifully situated Semsi Pasa Camii, are a short walk south. Sinan's Atik Valide Camii from 1583, the most architecturally significant mosque in the district, is a 15-minute mostly uphill walk from the waterfront on Hakimiyeti Milliye Caddesi and then on Dr. Fahri Atabey Caddesi. Another couple hundred yards up and to the left is the 17th-century Çinili Cami (Tiled Mosque), which has splendid Iznik tiles but is often kept locked for this reason.