The Camondo Stairs are a double-helix Art Nouveau staircase connecting the streets of Bankalar Caddesi (Bank Street) in Karaköy to the upper Galata neighbourhood, built around 1860 by the Camondo banking family. They curve and divide in an unexpectedly elegant way for a practical piece of urban infrastructure — the design is genuinely distinctive.
The stairs are a short walk from the Galata Tower and an easy addition to any walk through the Karaköy area. The surrounding streets — this was the Ottoman financial district, with European and Levantine bank buildings from the 19th century — are interesting in their own right. The stairs were featured in an Atlas Obscura entry that brought them wider attention; they are no longer obscure, but they remain worth seeking out.