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Map of Istanbul
Three waters and two continents. Istanbul is shared between the Golden Horn, the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, and on the map the land looks like pieces fitting together.
What you see on the map
The historic peninsula. South of the Golden Horn, old Constantinople: a tongue of land between two waters, with a maze of streets climbing its seven hills.
Sultanahmet. At the tip of the peninsula, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Hippodrome, whose long shape survives; and at the very end, Topkapı Palace, with its courtyards and gardens overlooking the Bosphorus.
The Golden Horn. The estuary separating the old city from Galata and Beyoğlu, crossed by the Galata Bridge. To the north, the Galata Tower and the steep streets climbing towards Taksim Square.
The Bosphorus. To the east, the mouth of the strait separating Europe from Asia. To the south, the Sea of Marmara coast closes the map.
Which scale and paper suit it
1:22,000 on a 30 cm square, as in the picture, covers 6 km: the historic peninsula, Galata and the mouth of the Bosphorus. Buildings can still be made out.
1:8,000 on A3 moves in on Sultanahmet or the Grand Bazaar, with every courtyard and dome.
In sepia, as here, it recalls old plans of Constantinople; at night, the dark water brings out the shape of the land.
Make it yours
Open the example and move the frame: the Theodosian Walls, closing the peninsula to the west, or the Bosphorus to the north, with its palaces and fortresses, deserve a map of their own.
Change all the colours at once with a theme (black ink, sepia, coral, night, blueprint) and download it as PNG. With a free account, also element by element, at 600 dpi, as vector PDF and as SVG.
