Ortakoy is situated underneath the first bridge to cross the Bosphorus.The Bosphorus Bridge was opened in 1973 as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Turkish Republic. At 1074 meters it is the fourth longest suspension bridge in the world.

Ortakoy has an unexpected charm, with its pleasing jumble of old buildings and narrow streets. It has recently become a center for artists and craftsman who have their studios and art galleries in the village. On Sundays there is a street market for paintings, craftwork, books and brick a brac. On the waterfront, local fishermen bring in their catches, or sit mending their nets, overlooked by pleasant coffee houses and fish restaurants.

The most prominent monument in Ortakoy, set on a promontory like an outsize ship's figurehead, is the flamboyant Buyuk Mecidiye Mosque, built for Abdul Mecit I in 1855 by Nigogos Balyan. A royal pavilion adjoins the front of the mosque, in the middle of which a double marble staircase sweeps up to the entrance, with slender minarets on either side, To say the mosque is a square surmounted by a dome is to do an injustice to its soaring, window filled tympanum arches and the elaborate turrets at each corner. The interior is filled with marble or marble effect, richly decorated with non structural architectural forms and positively swinging with chandeliers.