Here is a view from the grounds of the Süleymaniye Mosque, which sits atop one of Istanbul’s seven hills. The view across the Halıç (or the Golden Horn) to Beyoğlu includes Galata Tower (upper right). This mosque, completed in 1557, is another work of master Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan. To read more about Sultan Süleyman (the Magnificent), look here and here.
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn
This is the Golden Horn (Haliç) as seen from the Pierre Loti cafe in Eyüp. (There is a cable car going up to the cafe, but it is more fun to climb up through the mezarlik). From here you can see some of the structures on Sultanahmet (the historic peninsula). In the distance on the left is the Aya Sofya; to the right is the Süylemaniye Camii. The dark blob above the bridge at the skyline is a butterfly, which had photobombed the picture. It looks to be a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).