View of Istanbul from the Dutch Embassy at Pera by Jean Baptiste Vanmour (1671-1737) oil on canvas, c. 1720-1737 The Palais d'Hollande, the Dutch embassy in Istanbul, has always been located on a hill in the diplomatic district of Pera (now Beyoglu). Vanmour painted the view from the dining room, with the Asiatic section of Istanbul at left and the European area, with the Topkapi Sarayi (sultan's palace), on a hill at right. The inlet in the foreground is the Golden Horn, with the Ottoman fleet. At left is the Bosporus. Photo via Newscom