Seraglio Point

The Sea of Marmara turns into the Golden Horn around the Seraglio lighthouse where the Topkapı Palace and Harem complex, which once accommodated some 5,000 people, dominates the hill. (See Cornucopia 50: Istanbul Unwrapped: The Sultan's City) Surrounding the palace are gardens, one of which is open to the public, Gülhane Park, where rabbits tell fortunes. The Museum of the History of Science and Technology in Islam can be found here. On the other, seaward side are the remains of  the old city seawalls by the highway-driven waterfront, which was once crowded with pavilions and palaces. The Basketmaker's Kiosk (Sepetçiler Köşkü), dating from 1592 and now government offices, is the only survining pavilion. On the north side is the romantic Sirkeci railway station, last stop on the legendary Orient Express. The story of the historic station is told in Cornucopia 35 by Andrew Finkel, who first arrived by train here in 1967.