Çamlıca Hill, Istanbul

Çamlıca – "the place of pines" – is a pair of hills above Üsküdar on Istanbul's Asian side: Büyük Çamlıca (Great Çamlıca) and Küçük Çamlıca (Little Çamlıca). Rising high above the Bosphorus, Büyük Çamlıca is one of the highest points in the city, and its views stretch from the Princes' Islands and the Sea of Marmara to the historic peninsula and far up the strait towards the Black Sea.

In Ottoman times the hills were a countryside retreat. Sultans and courtiers came here for excursions and hunting, and from the 18th century wealthy families built summer mansions on the cool, wooded slopes. The spring waters of Çamlıca were prized throughout the city, and 19th-century writers and painters celebrated the hill as one of Istanbul's favourite picnic and promenade spots, reached by carriage from Üsküdar.

In 1980 the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association, led by Çelik Gülersoy, landscaped the summit of Büyük Çamlıca with gardens, pavilions and a café in Ottoman style, turning it into a public park. For decades, however, television and radio antennas crowded both hilltops and spoiled the skyline.

Two major projects have since reshaped the hills. The Büyük Çamlıca Mosque, opened in 2019, is the largest mosque in Turkey, with six minarets and room for tens of thousands of worshippers; its domes are visible from much of the city. In 2021 the Çamlıca Tower, a 369-metre communications tower with observation decks and restaurants, opened on Küçük Çamlıca Hill. With a total height of 587 metres above sea level it is the highest structure in Istanbul, and its opening allowed the old antenna masts to be removed from the summits.

Come for the view. On Büyük Çamlıca, landscaped terraces, flower beds and tea gardens face the Bosphorus with its bridges, the Old City and, on clear days, the Princes' Islands. Order tea and a simit or a traditional breakfast, and stay for sunset, when the lights of both continents come on. In spring the gardens bloom with tulips.

Visit the Çamlıca Mosque complex, with its vast courtyard, great prayer hall under a central dome and wide terraces looking over the city. Like all mosques, it is open to visitors outside prayer times, and the surrounding gardens are pleasant for a stroll.

On neighbouring Küçük Çamlıca, Çamlıca Tower offers glass-walled observation decks and restaurants high above the city – the best place to grasp the full extent of Istanbul in one panorama. Shaded paths through the pine groves connect the hilltops, and families picnic on the lawns at weekends.

Mornings and late afternoons usually give the clearest light for photographs. Weekends and public holidays draw large crowds, while weekdays are calm. In winter the summit can be windy and cold, so dress warmly.

Many Asian-side city tours combine Çamlıca Hill with Üsküdar, Beylerbeyi Palace and a stop by the Bosphorus, making it easy to see the best of this side of Istanbul in a single day.

Take the M5 metro from Üsküdar to Kısıklı station, then walk uphill for about 20–25 minutes or take a short taxi ride to the summit. Altunizade station on the same line is convenient for Çamlıca Tower. A taxi from the Üsküdar pier takes around 15 minutes.

Choose a clear day, as haze can hide the view. Bring a jacket, because the hilltop is breezy, and dress modestly if you plan to enter the mosque. Tickets for the tower's observation decks are sold on site; queues are longest at sunset and at weekends.