Golden Horn in the context of "Karaköy Square"

Sarayburnu (Turkish: Sarayburnu, meaning Palace Cape; known in English as the Seraglio Point) is a promontory quarter separating the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, Turkey. The area is where the Topkapı Palace and Gülhane Park stand. Sarayburnu is included in the historic areas of Istanbul, added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

Fener (Turkish pronunciation: [feˈnæɾ]; Greek: Φανάρι, romanized: Phanári), also spelled Phanar, is a quarter midway up the Golden Horn in the district of Fatih in Istanbul, Turkey. The Turkish name is derived from the Greek word "phanarion" (Medieval Greek: Φανάριον), meaning lantern, streetlight or lamppost; the neighborhood was so called because of a column topped with a lantern which stood here in the Byzantine period and was used as a street light or lighthouse.

Fener was a traditionally Greek neighbourhood during the Ottoman era and its streets still contain many old stone houses and churches dating from Byzantine and Ottoman times. The grand mansions between the main road and the shore of the Golden Horn were often used to store wood imported from the Black Sea (Pontos) area; one now houses Istanbul's Women's Library. Their picturesque façades were damaged as a result of street-widening work from the 1930s onwards.

Fatih (Turkish pronunciation: [ˈfaːtih]) or the Historical peninsula (in Turkish: Tarihi Yarımada), is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 15 km, and its population is 368,227 (2022). It is home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the mayor's office, police headquarters, metropolitan municipality and tax office) but not the courthouse. It encompasses the historical peninsula, coinciding with old Constantinople. In 2009, the district of Eminönü, which had been a separate municipality located at the tip of the peninsula, was once again remerged into Fatih because of its small population. Fatih is bordered by the Golden Horn to the north and the Sea of Marmara to the south, while the Western border is demarked by the Theodosian wall and the east by the Bosphorus Strait.

There are 50 passenger ferry quays in Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey with a population of 16,237,000 in 2025. 37 of the ferry quays are in active service in Bosphorus, Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara. As of the 2017 Summer season, the ferry quays are served at 600 voyages daily by 28 traditional passenger ferry boats on 17 lines operated by the Şehir Hatları ("City Lines") company.

Karaköy (Turkish pronunciation: [kaˈɾakøj]), the modern name for the old Galata, is a commercial quarter in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, located at the northern part of the Golden Horn mouth on the European side of Bosphorus.

Karaköy is one of the oldest and most historic districts of the city, and is today an important commercial center and transport hub. It is connected with the surrounding neighborhoods by streets radiating out from Karaköy Square. The Galata Bridge links Karaköy to Eminönü to the southwest, Tersane Street links it to Azapkapı to the west, Voyvoda Street (Bankalar Caddesi) links it to Şişhane to the northwest, the steeply sloping Yüksek Kaldırım Street links it to Pera in the north, and Kemeraltı Street and Necatibey Street link it to Tophane to the northeast.

Zeyrek Mosque (Turkish: Zeyrek Camii) or the Monastery of the Pantokrator (Greek: Μονή του Παντοκράτορος Χριστού; Turkish: Pantokrator Manastırı), is a large mosque on the Fazilet Street in the Zeyrek district of Fatih in Istanbul, overlooking the Golden Horn. It is made up of two former Byzantine churches and a chapel joined together and represents the best example of Middle Byzantine architecture in Constantinople. After Hagia Sophia, it is the largest Byzantine religious edifice still standing in Istanbul.

It is less than 1 km to the southeast of Eski Imaret Mosque, another Byzantine church that was turned into a mosque.

The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii, pronounced [sylejˈmaːnije]) is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. The mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566) and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. An inscription specifies the foundation date as 1550 and the inauguration date as 1557, although work on the complex probably continued for a few years after this.

The Süleymaniye Mosque is one of the best-known sights of Istanbul and from its location on the Third Hill it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn. It is considered a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and one of Mimar Sinan's greatest works. It is the largest Ottoman-era mosque in the city.

Beyoğlu (Turkish: [ˈbejoːɫu]) is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 9 km, and its population is 225,920 (2022). It is on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople now known as Fatih) by the Golden Horn.

Genoese traders founded Beyoğlu. Beyoğlu's population was mostly foreign and of European background in the 19th century. Events such as 1950s Istanbul pogrom and suburbanization led to high income Muslims, Armenians, Greeks, and Jews leaving for the suburbs, which resulted in decaying housing. Urban renewal projects and gentrification started in 1980s and 1990s. Cultural events such as Istanbul Film Festival, restaurants, and coffee shops were established, while middle-income and upper-income residents returned to the area. Present-day Beyoğlu is one of the main night-life areas in Istanbul.

Eminönü, historically known as Pérama, is a predominantly commercial waterfront area of Istanbul within the Fatih district near the confluence of the Golden Horn with the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait and the Sea of Marmara. It is located in the part of Istanbul known as the historical peninsula, connected to Karaköy (historic Galata) via the Galata Bridge across the Golden Horn. It was administered as part of the Sultanahmet district from 1928 to 2009 when Sultanahmet was absorbed into Fatih. Eminönü, which was a district municipality until March 7, 2008, was abolished on this date and connected to Fatih district by law. It is completely located within the city wall, the historical core of the city, and forms one of the most vibrant areas of the central area.

Eminönü's busy main square is overlooked by the New Mosque (Yeni Cami in Turkish) and the Spice Bazaar (Mısır Çarşısı in Turkish).