Sırkecı

Sirkeci Station is defined by its grand, European Orientalist facade, featuring pointed horseshoe arches, patterned tiles, and stained glass that blend late Ottoman aesthetics with continental design. Opened in eighteen ninety to serve as the eastern terminus of the legendary Orient Express, the building was designed by Prussian architect August Jasmund to welcome travelers arriving from Paris. Its construction required special permission from Sultan Abdulaziz to lay tracks directly along the shoreline of the Sea of Marmara, cutting through the lower gardens of Topkapi Palace.