Levent District
KANYON, SAPPHIRE TOWER


Levent is a business district, situated on the European side in the municipality Besiktas, on the North side of the Golden Horn, North of the city center. It is one of two large skyscraper districts in Istanbul (the other one is Maslak, unfortunately I couldn't visit it), you can find Istanbul's tallest building in Levent, Sapphire Tower, as well as some of the first modern skyscrapers in Istanbul, and Kanyon, a shopping mall with a striking curvy design. And even more skyscrapers and other modern office buildings are under construction, the downside of that is that it is hard to get through the area because of all the construction vehicles, cranes, rough traffic and unfinished pavements.
 
Levent skyline seen from the main road, Büyükdere Caddesi.
Three office complexes: Sabanci Center, Is Bankasi Towers, Yapi Kredi Merkez.  

 



Is Bankasi Towers
     
 


Tekfen Tower and a curvy glass scarper u/c (May 2013)

Mövenpick Hotel (right)

Is Bankasi Tower, Istanbul's tallest between 1996 and 2010. 181m tall.    

 

 




Traffic jam in Levent

Harmanci GiZ
Sapphire Tower, Istanbul's tallest building, is 235 m tall (261m to the spire) and has 54 floors. It was completed in 2010. Unfortunately I didn't have the opportunity to visit its observation deck.   Kanyon Tower
 


Levent LOFT 2
New skyscrapers under construction (2013)   Turkish Manhattan
Brand new buildings and buildings under construction, Levent   The Metrocity complex from 2003 has 3 towers and a large shopping mall

 

 





Kanyon is a multi complex with shopping mall, apartments, theaters and highrise office buildings, that opened in 2006.   Kanyon was designed by Jerde Partnership in Los Angeles.
 





Kanyon's shopping mall has 160 stores, most of them very exclusive.   Kanyon's design is filled with curves.
 





Kanyon has skybridges and hanging roof gardens.   Kanyon Tower