The Asian side of Istanbul comprises the two major suburbs of Üsküdar and Kadıköy, which date from the 7th century BC . Üsküdar (once known as Scutari after the 12th-century Scutarion Palace which was located opposite Leander's Tower) was the starting point of Byzantine trade routes through Asia. It retained its importance in the Ottoman period and today is renowned for its many classical mosques.
A number of residential districts radiate from Üsküdar and Kadıköy. Moda is a pleasant leafy suburb famous for its ice cream, while there is a lighthouse and an attractive park at Fenerbahçe. From there it is a short walk up to Bağdat Caddesi, one of Istanbul's best-known shopping streets .

Leander's Tower - Kız Kulesi - Üsküdar.

Located offshore from l tskiidar. the tiny, white l.v.iinU'i's Tower is a well-known Bosphorus landmark. Ilır islel on which this 18th century tower stands was the site of a 12th- century Byzantine fortress built by Manuel I Comnenus. The tower has served as a quarantine centre during cholera outbreak a lighthouse, a customs control point and a maritime toll gate. It is now a restaurant and nightclub .
The tower is known in Turkish as the "Maiden's Tower" after a legendary princess, said to have been confined here after a prophet foretold that she would die from a snakebite. The snake duly appeared from a basket of figs and struck the fatal blow. The English name of the tower derives from the Greek myth of Leander, who swam the Hellespont (the modern-day Dardanelles) to see his lover Hero.

Şemsi Paşa Mosque  - Şemsi Paşa Camii - Sahil Yolu, Üsküdar.

This is one of the smallest mosques to be commissioned by a grand vizier  Its miniature dimensions combined with its picturesque waterfront location make it one of the most attractive mosques in the city.
Şemsi Ahmet Paşa succeeded Sokollu Mehmet Paşa as grand vizier, and may-have been involved in his murder. Sinan  built this mosque for him in 1580.
The garden, which overlooks the Bosphorus, is surrounded on two sides by the medrese , with the mosque on the third side and the sea wall on the fourth. The mosque itself is unusual in that the tomb of Şemsi Ahmet is joined to the main building, divided from the interior by a grille.

İskele Mosque - İskele Camii- Hakımsyetı Milliye Cad, Üsküdar

One of Üskudar's mast prominent landmarks, the iskele Mosque (also known as Mihrimah Sultan Mosque), takes its name from the ferry landing where it stands. A massive structure on a raised platform, it was built by Sinan between 1547 and 1548 for Mihrimah Sultan, favourite daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent and wife of Grand Vizier Rüstem Paşa .
Without space to build a courtyard, Sinan constructed a large protruding roof which extends to cover the şadırvan (ablutions fountain) in front of the mosque. The porch and interior are rather gloomy as a result. This raised portico is an excellent place from which to look down on the main square below, in which stands the Baroque Fountain of Ahmet III, built in 1726.

Yeni Valide Mosque - Yeni Valide Camii- Hakimiyeti Milliye Cad, Üsküdar.

Across the main square from İskele Mosque, the Yeni Valide Mosque, or New Mosque of the Sultan's Mother, was built by Ahmet III between 1708 and 1710 to honour his mother, Gülnuş Emetullah. The complex is entered through a large gateway, with the mektep (Koranic school) built above it. This leads into a spacious courtyard. The buildings in the complex date from an important turning point in Ottoman architecture. The mosque is in the classical style, yet there are Baroque embellishments on the tomb of the Valide Sultan, the neighbouring sebil (kiosk from which drinks were served) and the şadırvan.

Atik Valide Mosque - Atik Valide Cami - Çinili Camii Sok, Üsküdar,

The Atik Valide Mosque, set on the hill above Üsküdar, was one of the most extensive mosque complexes in Istanbul. The name translates as the Old Mosque of the Sultan's Mother, as the mosque was built for Nur Banu, the Venetian-born wife of Selim II ("the Sot") and the mother of Murat III. She was the first of the sultans' mothers to rule the Ottoman Empire from the harem .
Sinan completed the mosque, which was his last major work, in 1583, It has a wide shallow dome which rests on five semidomes, with a hal arch over the entrance portal.
The interior is surrounded on three sides by galleries, the undersides of which retain the rich black, red and gold stencilling typical of the period. The mihrab apse is almost completely covered with panels of fine İznik tiles , while the mihrab itself and tire minbar are both made of beautifully carved marble. Side aisles were added to the north and south in the 17th century, while the grilles and architectural trompe I'ocil paintings on the royal logc in the western gallery date from the 18th century,
Outside, a door in the north wall of the courtyard leads down a flight of stairs to the medrese, where the dershane (classroom) projects out over the narrow street below, supported by an arch. Of the other buildings in the complex, the şifa-hane (hospital) is the only one which has been restored and is open to the public. Located just lo the east of the mosque, it consists of 40 cells around a courtyard and was in use well into the 20th century.

Tiled Mosque - Çinili Camii - Çinili Camii Sok, Üsküdar.

This pretty little mosque is best known for the fine tiles from which it takes its name. It dates from 1640 and is noticeably smaller than other royal foundations of the 17th century. This is partly because by the middle of the century much of Istanbul's prime land had already been built on, and the size of the plot did not allow for a larger building. There was also a trend away from endowing yet more enormous mosque complexes in the city.
The mosque was founded by Mahpeyker Kösem Sultan. As the wife of Sultan Ahmet I , and mother of sultans Murat IV and Ibrahim the Mad, she wielded great influence. Indeed, she was one of the last of the powerful harem women .
In the courtyard is a massive, roofed ablutions fountain. The adjacent medrese , however, is tiny. The facade and interior of the mosque are covered with tznik tiles  in turquoise, white, grey and a range of blues. There are none of the red and green pigments associated with the heyday of İznik tile production, bul the designs are still exquisite. Kven the conical cap of the marble minbur is tiled, and the carving on the minhar itself is picked out in green, red and gold paint.
The mosque's Turkish bath is on Çinili Hamam Sokağı. It has been renovated and is used by local residents.

Karaca Ahmet Cemetery- Karaca Ahmet Mezarlığı - Nuh Kuyusu Cad, Selimiye.

Sprawling over a large area, this cemetery is a pleasant place in which to stroll among old cypress trees and look at ancient tombstones. The earliest dated stone is from 1521, although the cemetery itself, one of the largest in Turkey, is thought to date from 1338.
The carvings on each tombstone tell a story . A man's tomb is indicated by a fez or a turban. The style of the turban denotes the status of the deceased. Women's stones are adorned with carved flowers, hats and shawls.
Standing on the corner of Gündoğumu Caddesi and Nuh Kuyusu Caddesi is the tomb of Karaca Ahmet himself. This warrior died fighting in the Turkish conquest of the Byzantine towns of Chryso-polis and Chalcedon (Üsküdar and Kadıköy) in the mid-14th century. The tomb and monument to his favourite horse date from the 19th century.

Selimiye Barracks  - Selimiye Kışlası- Çeşme-i Kebir Cad, Selimiye.

The Selimiye Barracks were originally built by Selim III in 1799 to house his New Army, with which he hoped to replace the Janissaries . He failed in his attempt, and was deposed and killed in a Janissary insurrection in 1807 . The barracks burnt down shortly afterwards. The present building, which dominates the skyline of the Asian shore, was started by Mahmut II in 1828, after he had finally disbanded the Janissary corps. Abdül Mecit I added three more wings between 1842 and 1853. The barracks were used as a military hospital during the Crimean War (1853-6). They became famously associated with Florence Nightingale, who lived and worked in the northeast tower from 1854. The rooms she occupied are now a museum, and are the only part of the barracks open to the public. They contain their original furniture and the lamp from which she gained the epitaph "Lady of the Lamp". Visits must be arranged in advance by faxing 0216 310 79 29.
Two other sites near the barracks - the Selimiye Mosque and the British War Cemetery -are both worth seeing. Built in 1804, the mosque is in a peaceful, if somewhat neglected, garden courtyard. The interior is filled with light from tiers of windows set in high arches. It is simply decorated with a classically painted dome and grey marble minbar. The royal pavilion in the northwest corner of the compound is flanked by graceful arches.
The British War Cemetery is a short walk south, on Burhan Felek Caddesi. It contains the graves of men who died in the Crimean War, in World War I at Gallipoli (seepi 70) and in World War II in the Middle East. There is no sign outside and opening hours vary, but the caretaker will usually be there to let you in.

Haydarpaşa Station- Haydarpaşa Garı- Haydarpaşa istasyon Cad, Haydarpaşa.

The waterfront location and grandeur of Haydarpaşa Station, together with the neighbouring tiled jetty, make it an impressive point of arrival or departure in Istanbul. The first Anatolian railway line, which was built in 1873, ran from here to İznik . The extension of this railway was a major part of Abdul Hamit II's drive to modernize the Ottoman Empire. Lacking sufficient funds to continue the project, he applied for help to his German ally, Kaiser Wilhelm II. The Deutsche Bank agreed to invest in the construction and operation of the railway. In 1898 German engineers were contracted to build the new railway lines running across Anatolia and beyond into the far reaches of the Ottoman Empire. At the same time a number of stations were built. Haydarpaşa, the grandest of these, was completed in 1908. Trains run from Haydarpaşa into the rest of Asia.

Big Pine Hill  - Büyük Çamlıca -Çamlıca.

On a clear day the view from the top of this hill takes in the Princes' Islands, the Sea of Marmara, the Golden Horn and Beyoğlu, and ihe Bosphorus as far as the Black Sea. It is even possible to see snow-capped Mount Uludağ near Bursa  to the south. Big Pine Hill, 4 km east of Üsküdar, is the highest point in Istanbul, at 261 m (856 ft) above sea level. Even the forest of radio and TV masts further down the slopes of the hill does not obscure the view.
The park at the summit, which was created by the Turkish Touring and Automobile Club  in 1980, is laid out with gardens, marble kiosks and two 18th-century-sryle cafes.
Neighbouring Küçük Çamlıca (Little Pine Hill), located to the south, is rather less cultivated and consequently attracts fewer tourists to its little tea garden. It is another lovely place for a stroll, again with beautiful views. (s1)