Situated by the shores of the Golden Horn, Kasımpaşa has been a naval center since the conquest of Constantinople. It is also one of the oldest residential neighbourhoods in Istanbul. By the 16th century, it contained the principal dockyards of the Ottoman Empire. The area is also famous for the Aynalıkavak or so called Mirrored Pavilion, one of the largest and most splendid palaces in İstanbul.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, the district fell out of favour. Today Kasımpaşa is mostly inhabited by Anatolian immigrants.