Featuring a beautiful sample of Neo-Baroque architectural style and with the Bosphorus Bridge in the background, Ortakoy Mosque is one of the most picturesque mosques of Istanbul and offers a unique juxtaposition of traditional and modern. Ortakoy Mosque, or officially named as Buyuk Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque of Ottoman Sultan Abdulmecid) is situated on the waterfront of Ortakoy pier Square in Besiktas district. On the order of Sultan Abdulmecid, in 1853, the Mosque was constructed by the Armenian architects, Garabet Amira and Nigoğayos Balyan, who also designed the nearby Dolmabahce Palace. You’ll also be fascinated by the craftmanship of the interior of the Mosque, decorated with pink mosaics and white marble and beautiful calligraphies of Sultan Abdulmecid. The views from its large windows, the dancing sunlight on the Bosphorus and the Bosphorus Bridge, are impressive too.    

On the surrounding side streets, you can find a local craft market and lots of dining options to enjoy local tastes.