Pierre Loti Hill
Piyer Loti Tepesi
A hilltop tea garden viewpoint at the far end of the Golden Horn, named after the French writer Pierre Loti. Sipping Turkish tea here overlooks the entire Golden Horn, and it is most beautiful at sunset.
Pierre Loti Hill lies on the slopes north of the Eyüp district. In the late 19th century, the French naval officer and writer Pierre Loti often wrote in a café at the top of the hill, which is how the hill and its tea garden got their name. The Pierre Loti Café at the summit and the open-air tea terraces nearby overlook the entire Golden Horn. In the distance you can see the Haliç Bridge and the skyline of mosques in the Old City. The scene is especially striking in the evening, when the setting sun reflects off the water. You can reach the top by the Eyüp–Piyer Loti cable car, a ride of about 3 minutes that you can pay for with an Istanbulkart. Alternatively, you can walk for about 15 to 20 minutes from the Eyüp Sultan Mosque at the bottom of the hill, passing through the ancient Ottoman cemetery. The climb is fairly steep. The hilltop tea garden is open all day, with fair prices for Turkish tea and coffee. Seats are scarce on weekends and at sunset. Getting there: take a Golden Horn ferry from Eminönü or Karaköy to the Eyüp pier, or take bus 36CE, 99 or others to Eyüp, then walk to the cable car station.
Opening hours
Open all day (tea gardens about 08:00–24:00); cable car about 08:00–23:00
Nearby sights
- Eyüp Sultan Mosque
- Chora Church (Kariye Mosque)
- Balat
- Walls of Constantinople
- Fatih Mosque
- Zeyrek Mosque (Pantokrator Monastery)
- Aqueduct of Valens
- Şehzade Mosque