Sumner-Boyd and Freely's Üsküdar, from the pier to the Maiden's Tower

Mihrimah Sultan Mosque · İskele Mosque

Start: Üsküdar pier (by ferry from Eminönü, Karaköy or Beşiktaş); directly opposite the pier · stay 25 min

The mosque Mimar Sinan completed in the late 1540s for Mihrimah Sultan, daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent; it stands on a high terrace opposite the pier, and locals named it after the pier (iskele). The broad portico and ablution fountain in front of it are like an entrance hall welcoming people off the ferry. Before the coast road was built, the mosque stood right at the water's edge.

Visits pause during prayer times; check the times before you go.

Yeni Valide Mosque

To the south side of the square, across the street, ≈ 3 min · stay 25 min

The complex built in 1708–1710 in the name of Gülnuş Emetullah Sultan, mother of Ahmed III; the last of the great mosques built in Üsküdar by women of the palace. The tomb at the corner of the courtyard wall catches the eye: Gülnuş Sultan's grave lies in an open-topped tomb with an iron grille.

Visits pause during prayer times; check the times before you go.

Şemsi Paşa Mosque

South-west along the shore ≈ 6 min · stay 25 min

The small complex Sinan built by the sea in 1580 for the vizier Şemsi Ahmed Pasha: a mosque, a madrasa and the founder's tomb. Few mosques stand this close to the water; from the courtyard you look out at Sarayburnu and the skyline of the historic peninsula. The madrasa was used as a library for many years.

Rum Mehmed Pasha Mosque

Uphill along the street opposite Şemsi Pasha's gate ≈ 4 min · stay 20 min

Built in 1471, shortly after the conquest, this is considered the first Ottoman mosque on the Asian side. Commissioned by the vizier Rum Mehmed Pasha, who was of Byzantine origin, its brick-and-stone masonry and dome on a high drum bear traces of the Byzantine building tradition.

Its door may be shut outside prayer times; check before you go.

Ahmediye Complex

≈ 8 min, south-east · stay 20 min

A small complex built in 1722 by Eminzade Hacı Ahmed Pasha; some sources also name its founder as İbnü'l-Emin Ahmed Ağa. The mosque on the corner, the madrasa, library, sebil and fountains are skilfully fitted onto a cramped plot; Tulip Era decoration sits alongside a classical plan.

Atik Valide Complex

≈ 10 min, uphill to Toptaşı · stay 45 min

The complex Sinan built for Nurbanu Sultan, wife of Selim II and mother of Murad III; the mosque, planned in the early 1570s, was enlarged and completed in the 1580s. With the madrasa, hospital, caravanserai and soup kitchen around its courtyard, it is like a small town set on the hilltop. The İznik tiles and painted decoration inside are worth stopping for.

Visits pause during prayer times; check the times before you go.

Çinili Mosque

≈ 8 min, east · stay 25 min

A small mosque built in 1640 by Kösem Sultan, wife of Ahmed I; it takes its name ('tiled') from the tiles that cover its interior walls from top to bottom. The Çinili Hamam and the primary school next to it are part of the same foundation. Tucked away inside the neighbourhood, in a corner far from the crowds.

Its door may be shut outside prayer times; check before you go.

Salacak · Maiden's Tower

From Çinili back to Üsküdar by bus or ≈ 25 min downhill on foot, then along the shore to Salacak ≈ 15 min · stay 75 min

The book ends Üsküdar looking out at the Maiden's Tower and the Princes' Islands. Standing on an islet a few hundred metres off the shore, the tower was used over the centuries as a lookout, a lighthouse and a quarantine station; the present building largely dates from 18th- and 19th-century repairs. Have a tea on the Salacak waterfront and watch the skyline of the historic peninsula at sunset.

The tower is reached by boat; departure times and the entry fee vary with the season, so check before you go.