About Kaleiçi
A horseshoe-shaped wall embraces the neighborhood, and each stretch of it was left by someone different: Hellenistic Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. Inside survive about 3,000 clay-roofed houses, many turned into small guesthouses, cafés and restaurants, along with museums and old madrasas.
The best way to explore Kaleiçi is to give up on the map. The lanes slope toward the sea, so any wrong turn ends up in the right place: the harbor. Along the way you pass the Yivli, Hadrian's Gate way up at the top and, near the southern edge, the Hıdırlık Tower. The walk back, though, is uphill.
