İstiklal Street -Taksim Square-Beyoglu Attractions

Istiklal Street is a 24/7 lively street for shopping and entertainment, which has maintained its importance for centuries, stretching between Taksim Square and Tunel. Istiklal Street, with a total length of 1400 meters, can attract everyone in this city without exception. Both local and foreign tourists definitely include Istiklal Street in their places to visit.

There are many options for shopping on Istiklal Street, from the most famous brands to small boutique stores. In addition to these, Istiklal Street offers rich opportunities in terms of food and beverage, with popular restaurants, dessert shops, banks, bars, taverns, bookstores, cinemas, theaters, and more.

Another factor that makes Istiklal Street popular is that it has the Nostalgic Tram Line. Even though Istiklal Street is closed to vehicle traffic, it is only possible to take a stroll with the trams.

Places To Visit İn Istiklal Street

Istiklal Street, which is a colorful street close to vehicle traffic and most visited by Istanbulites, especially young people and tourists in Istanbul, offers 7/24 entertainment and life with its restaurants, cafes & bars, cinemas, art centers, shopping centers, historical texture, and more.

Along Istiklal street, you can visit popular sites such as the fantastic Madame Tussauds Wax Museum, Hüseyin Ağa Mosque, Sent Antuan Catholic Church, Pera Museum, Çiçek Pasajı, and French Street. For a good dinner, you can visit 360 Club & restaurant, located on the historical building Mısır Apartment terrace of Istiklal Street, or any tavern in Nevizade, or Asmalımescit.

Taksim Gezi Park

Taksim Gezi Park is located northeast of Taksim Square in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. In the 16th century, during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, it was allocated as a burial place for the Armenian community and later passed into the hands of the Turkish government again due to anti-Armenian sentiment. The Surp Krikor Lusavorich Church in the region was demolished and the tombstones were taken and used to build the stairs of Taksim Gezi Park.

Taksim Square

Taksim Square, which is integrated with the Taksim Republic Monument, Gezi Park, Atatürk Cultural Center, Atatürk Library, the elegant domed Hagia Triada church, the nostalgic tram stop, the Hüseyin Ağa Mosque, and the famous Istiklal Street, is one of the most popular squares in Istanbul. It is also a popular meeting point and one of the hubs of the transportation network in Istanbul. Located just behind Taksim Square, Gezi Park is a beautiful park where you can enjoy a nice rest and watch the lively city life in Taksim.

You know the writer Orhan Pamuk, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. You can see the life of the pre-1980s in all its details in the museum, where the items in the book of Pamuk, who is known for his novels, The Museum of Innocence, which bears the same name as the museum, are exhibited.

The Museum of Innocence was selected as the museum of the year by the European Museums Forum on May 17-2014. Especially if you read and visit the novel, this place makes you feel like you are in a novel. Also, don't forget that if you have a novel, you can visit the museum for free!

It is a fictional museum based on the subject of Orhan Pamuk's novel The Museum of Innocence. An old house in Istanbul Çukurcuma was turned into a museum by the author.

Siraselviler Street

On the left before entering Istiklal street from Taksim square, Sıraselviler Avenue is a very popular street, although not as much as Istiklal Avenue: It is a very lively and lively area full of hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, and historical buildings.

Cihangir

Further ahead from Sıraselviler street are the famous Cihangir district and Çukurcuma. The most popular place here is Firuzağa Kahvehanesi (coffee shop). It's full at all hours of the day, and you can see one of the TV artists you'll want to take photos with while drinking coffee here.

Cukurcuma

When you follow the street going down from Firuzağa Kahvesi to the right, you reach Çukurcuma, the famous place of recent years and known as the antique shops street. Çukurcuma, which is also a touristic place, has old restored houses, cafes, and art galleries along with antique shops. The best antique shops in Istanbul are located here.

Nostalgic Tram Tour

The old red trams on Istiklal Street not only beautify the street, but it is also very enjoyable to get on the tram and visit Istiklal like this. Especially if you feel tired but you also want to travel, we definitely recommend you to give it a chance.

The journey starts from the tunnel and continues until Taksim Square. Getting on the Nostalgic tram on Istiklal Street gives pleasure to see it passing by the sea, you can choose to walk by watching your surroundings.

Madame Tussauds Istanbul

Madame Tussauds Istanbul museum will be good, if you like to travel and follow famous people, this world-famous museum will surely entertain you! Wax statues of famous or important people are so realistic that it is impossible not to be surprised while walking around.

The entrance fee is --TL, but if you have a museum card, 25% discount. The fee may seem high at first, but we think that you will not regret it while visiting.

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art

Located on Meşrutiyet street in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Istanbul Modern Art Museum is 3 kilometers from Taksim. It was opened in 2004 by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. Istanbul Modern Art Museum, where works symbolizing contemporary art are exhibited, should definitely be included in the plans of places to visit.

Located on Istiklal Avenue, Taksim the popular Çiçek Pasajı was established in 1876. The Naum Theater was located in the place of the passage, which is one of the important structures of Istanbul. However, it was completely destroyed after the Great Beyoğlu Fire. It got this name because it was a passage that was fully equipped with flowers at the time it was built.

Çiçek Pasajı covers the area where there is a 3-story building. Its front side fascinates everyone with its flamboyant and magnificent and beautiful architecture. Çiçek Pasaji is structurally considered among the classical examples of 19th-century Eclecticism.

Serving as an active spot in Taksim in terms of nightlife and eating and drinking, Çiçek Pasajı has a fun atmosphere as well as its historical importance like Asmalı Mescit. Cicek Pasaji, which you can include in your list of places to visit in Taksim and spend a pleasant day, is also home to beautiful cafes, taverns, and restaurants that do not have an entrance fee as part of the nightlife.

French Street

The real name of this street is  Cezayir (Algeria) street. It is a street with stairs with many cafes. It is located behind Galatasaray High School and connects Beyoğlu and Tophane districts. It has this name because it is a street that carries traces of French architecture, where Algerians, a former French colony, lived for a while, also has French products and keeps the cafe culture alive.

The street consists of a structure with stairs and cafes have tables and chairs on the right and left of the street. You can sit here and watch the street view and have a drink with your friends or lover. French Street has a different appearance at night with its lighting.

Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church

Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church, located in a beautiful and central location in Taksim Square and considered one of the most important historical buildings in the region, symbolizes the concept of the "Trinity" known as the "Holy Trinity".

The history of this church, which is dedicated to the holy trinity Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, dates back to 1879. The architect of this church, which is also important in terms of being the largest Orthodox Church in the city, is Vasilaki Efendi.

The church, which has a central dome, a bell tower on both sides, and a Greek Cross plan, attracts attention mostly with its architectural structure and interior decorations. It can be said that it has a much more spectacular architecture than the church in Kadıköy with the same name.

Church of Santa Maria Draperies

Church of Santa Maria Draperies is one of the must-visit churches on Istiklal Street. It is not popular as a tourist, as it often does not attract much attention when passing by. However, if you decide to see it, let's say that it has an extremely magnificent interior. Built-in 1590, the church still stands today. It is forbidden to take photos during the ceremony in the church, which is very beautiful in terms of architecture. We would like to draw your attention to the wonderful mosaics inside.

St. Anthony's Catholic Church

St. Anthony's Catholic Church is located on Taksim Istiklal Street in the Beyoğlu district and is a historically important building, St. Anthony's Catholic Church is the largest Catholic church in Istanbul. St. Anthony's Catholic Church was built in 1230 by St. Francis of Assisi and it wonderfully came to the present day. But St. Anthony's Catholic Church suffered a great deal of damage as a result of the fires that broke out between 1639 and 1660.

St. Antuan Church was built in its present location in 1724 for the Catholics who served the state and the palace during the Ottoman Period. The church, which attracts attention with its beautiful splendor today, is built with red brick stones. The church, which you should consider when preparing a travel guide, is also used for worship by being managed by Italian priests today. The church, which you can include in your list of places to visit in Taksim, is an extremely important building both in terms of history and in terms of worship tourism.

Huseyin Aga Mosque

Hüseyin Ağa Mosque, located on Istiklal Street within the borders of Taksim, stands out among the historical structures of the region. The fountain of Hüseyin Ağa Mosque, which was built in 1596 by Hüseyin Ağa, one of the lords of Galata Palace, was brought from the Sinan Pasha Mosque, which was built by Mimar Sinan with fine workmanship. Hüseyin Ağa Mosque, which is one of the must-see places in Taksim, is also one of the structures that witness the history of the region. The fountain in front of Hüseyin Ağa Mosque is a masterpiece of Turkish stone carving.

Right in front of its mihrab, there is the tomb of Davud Ağa, one of the aghas of Galata Palace.

Galata Tower, a building located in the Galata district of Istanbul's Beyoğlu district, is 3 kilometers from Taksim. The tower, which is considered among the important symbolic historical structures of Turkey and popular among places to visit, was built in 528. A panoramic view of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus is revealed from the most popular tower of Istanbul, Galata. The Tower, which is one of the must-see destinations and must-see destinations, is also one of the structures that shed light on the city's past.

The address of Art, Culture, and Entertainment, the favorite of the young people, Taksim - Beyoğlu is one of the most active travel routes in the heart of Istanbul. In addition to its popular historical and touristic places, it is one of the places where you can spend a full day without getting bored with fun places, shops, breakfast places, and much more. Although the places to visit in Beyoğlu - Taksim stand out mostly with their historical structures, it is also a popular place with its avenues, streets, and touristic attractions that you will frequent.

Galatasaray High School

Galatasaray High School, which has a turbulent history, was first established in 1481 during the Second World War. It was built by Bayezid and opened as the Enderun School, that is, the training building for the devshirme officers in the palace.

It was first called Galata Palace Humayun School, then Mekteb-i Sultani, and finally Galatasaray High School. The high school, which is known by this name today, was liquidated in 1675 due to the internal turmoil of the Ottoman Empire and due to a lack of funds. It was reopened in 1715. Due to the removal of the Enderun, the building started to serve as a medical school and barracks at the beginning of the 19th century.

When it comes to 1868, the building begins to give education under the name of "Mekteb-i Sultani", as a symbol of Westernization and Tanzimat studies, by the order of Sultan Abdulaziz, the sultan of the period. The school, where Jewish, Catholic, and Orthodox students also receive education, was renamed Galatasaray High School with the proclamation of the Republic. General culture courses are started to be given in Turkish instead of French as the main language.

Galata Mevlevi Lodge Museum

Galata Mevlevi Lodge was founded by Divane Mehmed Dede, Sheikh of Afyon Mevlevi Lodge. It was also known as Mevlevi Lodge of Kulekapı and Galipdede Lodge in the past, and it has reached its current state as a result of the renovation and landscaping carried out between 2008-2011.

Artifacts in Galata Mevlevihanesi Museum are exhibited in Semahane. The upper part of the museum is separated by wooden lattices and bears traces of the 18th-century Baroque style. Here, the divans belonging to the divan poets are exhibited in chronological order. Mevlevihane; It consists of semahane, dervish chambers, sultan's chamber, sisters' quarters, sheik's chamber, foreigners' chamber, a public fountain, muvakkithane, kitchen, library, tombs, and treasury sections.

You can visit the museum, which is closed on Mondays, between 09:00 and 17:00 on other days of the week. You can visit the museum, whose entrance fee is TL, free of charge with museum cards.

Pera Museum

Pera Museum, located on the lower street of Istiklal Street, serves as one of the best spots in Istanbul to visit within the scope of culture and art. The museum, which was built by the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation, was opened to visitors in 2005. In the museum, where 3 special collections belonging to the foundation are exhibited, which must be seen, there are also sections such as exhibition halls, auditorium, training room, multi-purpose exhibition halls, and cafeteria.

In order to get information about the exhibits and products at the Pera Museum, it is necessary to get information by making a reservation. Pera Museum, which is among the places to visit in Taksim, can be visited every day of the week between 12:00 and 18:00.

The entrance fee for the visit to the Pera Museum is --TL.