Levent financial district and the Bosphorus Bridge in the background.

Levent is a neighbourhood and one of the main business districts of Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of the city. It is a part of the municipality of Beşiktaş which is situated to the north of the Golden Horn, at the western shore of the Bosporus strait.

Levent at night.

Levent is in direct competition with the nearby Maslak business district for new skyscraper projects. One of the major skyscraper clusters of the city is located here, well hidden behind the hills of the Bosporus, and not disturbing the atmosphere of the historical peninsula of Istanbul, which is at quite a distance.

Levent^[1] hosts the tallest completed skyscraper of Turkey, the 52-floor İş Bankası Tower 1^[2] which has a height of 181m (195 m including the flag spire on top). The tallest skyscraper currently under construction in Levent is the 54-floor Sapphire,^[3] which will reach a roof height of 238 meters (261 meters including its spire).

Levent is also a name for men in Turkey; see Levent (name). The name derives from Levend (Marine Soldier) of the Ottoman Navy.^[4] Levend itself has derived from Levantino (Levantine) which means Person from the Levant (East Mediterranean) in Italian.^[4] This was how the Italians (the Genoese and Venetians) used to call the Ottoman sailors, a name which was also embraced by the Ottoman Turks themselves.^[4] The use of the word levend for describing seamen first appeared in the Ottoman Turkish language during the 16th century.^[5] This name came to be applied to the neighbourhood because in the 18th century the Ottoman Fleet Admiral Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Pasha had a farm here and in the 19th century a compound of naval barracks were built in the area of this farm.^[6]

Bosphorus Bridge and the skyline of Levent financial district in Istanbul, as seen from Çamlıca Hill.

[edit] Image gallery

View from the entrance of Metrocity

Levent in winter

View from Sporcular Park

View from Nakkaştepe Hill, on an advertisement

Bosphorus Bridge and the skyline of Istanbul as seen from Çamlıca Hill, with Levent financial district in the center, and Maslak financial district at right.

[edit] See also

• Maslak
• Bankalar Caddesi
• List of tallest buildings in Istanbul
• List of tallest buildings in Turkey

[edit] References and notes

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Levent

• Emporis: Skyscrapers of Levent financial district

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Coordinates: 41°04′55″N 29°00′57″E / 41.08181°N 29.01584°E / 41.08181; 29.01584