Ciragan Palace

Now the Kempinski Hotel, this waterfront palace blends Ottoman, European, and Moorish styles in a way that's either magnificently confused or confusingly magnificent. Sultan Abdül Aziz commissioned it in 1867, and its architect threw in everything — marble colonnades, ornate balconies, and a Bosphorus facade that stretches endlessly. Even if you're not staying, the waterfront promenade offers a close-up look at peak Ottoman excess.