Istanbul - Sublime Porte

From the Yeni Cami in Istanbul a street runs southeast, passing close to Sirkeci Station (Istanbul's main station), to the Sublime Porte, once the seat of the Grand Vizier, later the Foreign Ministry and now the office of the Governor (Vali) of Istanbul province. Opposite it, at the corner of the Seraglio wall, is the Alay Köskü, from which the Sultan could watch, unobserved, the comings and goings at the Sublime Porte.

A little way southeast is the Soguk Çesme Gate, the main entrance to the Seraglio, reached on the street which runs up to the right.

The street ahead passes through Gülhane Park (admission charge) to an outlook terrace, with views of the Bosporus and the Sea of Marmara. To the south, below the Tulip Garden,