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Shkodër, a city in Albania, was also known as Scutari in antiquity.
Üsküdar (ancient Scutari) was a city in Bithynia in Anatolia. As its larger and more important neighbor across the Bosphorus, the city of Istanbul grew, Uskudar became a suburb and then a part of metropolitan Istanbul.
Uskudar was (and still is) famous for its many historical Mosques and Ottoman buildings such as the Aziz Mahumd Hudayi Tekke (Aziz Mahmud Hudayi who is buried in Uskudar was the founder of the Jelveti Sufi order) and the Nasuhi Effendi Tekke (Nasuhi Effendi being the founder of the Nasuhiyye Khalwati Sufi order) and also for its more relaxed atmosphere in comparison to the more overcrowded European side of the city (one of the first things you see on arriving in Uskudar by ferry are the two large mosques on either side of the ferry port). Many residents of Istanbul prefer to work on the European side and live on the Asian side.
It is also famous for its 'Maiden's Tower' (Tour de Léandre in French), a small tower just off the coast that has existed since Byzantine times and from time to time has been used as a toll booth (now it is used as an expensive resturant and a venue for wedding parties).
Its long promenade is popular in summer as it commands exellent views of the European shore of Topkapi palace, Aya Sofia, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (The Blue Mosque), Taksim and Besiktas.
Along the promenade is Beylerbey, an area famous in Istanbul for its fish resturants.
Camlica (pronounced Tchamlidja) is the highest point in Istanbul and commands a panoramic view of the entire city.
Marmara University also has it faculty of theology in Uskudar and thus, parts of Uskudar and neighbouring Umraniye have a large student population.
Unlike its neighbour Kadikoy, Uskudar is a mildly conservative district although much more relaxed than Fatih and Islamist parties generally do well in this area.