Best places to watch the sunset in Istanbul

In Turkey, a country noted for its many magnificent cities, Istanbul is without doubt the most beautiful. With its amazing silhouette, Istanbul makes both visitors and residents fall in love with the city. The city can take you back centuries with its landmarks, including Galata Tower, Maiden's Tower, Haghia Sophia and the mosques that rise to the sky. Even when you are stuck in a traffic jam while crossing the bridge from Europe to Asia and feel completely overwhelmed, seeing the Istanbul skyline over the bridge can make you forget all the negative effects of Istanbul as a metropolis.

While Istanbul is beautiful every hour of each day, the best time to see the real beauty of it is during sunset and sunrise. Over and over again, the sun says goodbye to this beautiful city.

Here are some of the best spots for you to watch the sunset around Istanbul, never skip if you are in Istanbul since the best memory to take with you while leaving the country is hidden in those sunset moments.

Salacak



The best way to describe is Salacak is a perfect spot hidden away in the Üsküdar district on the Asian side. Salacak is where Maiden's Tower salutes Istanbulites every day. The closest destination to the tower is tea houses located on the shore. All the colors of nature, from yellow to pink, give a visual feast to visitors during each sunset. Looking to the historic peninsula right behind the Maiden's Tower, a perfect Istanbul silhouette can be seen complete clearly when the sun bids farewell behind one of the seven hills of Istanbul. If you are on holiday in Istanbul, there is a good chance you saw a photograph of the sun setting behind the Maiden's Tower before you arrived. Yes, the photos can be stunning, but the sunset view from Salacak is more beautiful and mesmerizing that it is in the photos. The best place to see the sunset over the tower is Büfe Taner since it is located exactly in front of the tower. Take a seat at one of the tables in the teahouse and order a Turkish tea while enjoying the mesmerizing scene and you will understand that the best thing to take with you while going back to your country is that sunset image of Istanbul.

Çamlıca Hill



Being the subject to many poems, songs and literature works, Istanbul's seven hills are known for their magnificent beauty. Among the hills, Çamlıca is the tallest one. If you would like to watch an incredible sunset view in the city, Çamlıca hill is a perfect spot. Including views of the Prince's Islands, Sultanahmet Mosque, Süleymaniye Mosque, Ortaköy, Çamlıca Hill offers a host of landmarks for you to watch adorn the sunset. The hill is divided into two sections that are Büyük and Küçükçamlıca. You can have your tea or narghile while watching the sunset over the hill with a mesmerizing panoramic Istanbul sunset view.

Karaköy



Once a busy transportation hub, Karaköy is today's coolest hotspot for both Istanbulites and tourists with its stylish cafes and amazing view due to the district's location across the Golden Horn from the historic peninsula. Karaköy functions as a passage to the historic peninsula, which is why it has such a heavy tourist influx each day. The amazing sunset view, including a unique one of the Golden Horn, is one of the things that make Karaköy such a nice destination to watch the sunset when you are on the European side. To enjoy the amazing Istanbul atmosphere on Karaköy shores, just buy a cup of coffee from the cafes around Karaköy and enjoy the Istanbul view. You can also visit dozens of cafes in Karaköy that have their own style and narrow streets reminding past times and history.

Galata Tower



Imagine you are on the roof of one of the most well-known Istanbul landmarks and watching the mesmerizing sunset view. That is exactly what "enjoying the best of both worlds" means. Originally built as a watchtower, the medieval structure extends 66.9 meters - nine stories - high. The city's tallest structure was a vantage point built to look out over the city of Constantinople sprawling over the opposite side of the Golden Horn. An elevator goes only to the seventh floor and visitors must climb the two remaining stories. The restaurant at the top will satiate your appetite, while the 360 degree panoramic view of Istanbul's beauty will captivate you with a view of the Bosporus, the Golden Horn, the Blue Mosque and many other monumental landmarks during the sunset. If you come in the evening, you can dance the night away to Turkish music.