by Max on December 2, 2008
by Max on November 28, 2008
Earlier we covered the most interesting spots on Istiklal Caddesi between Taksim Square and Galata Lisesi. Today we’ll take you from Galata Square to Tünel, the world’s second-oldest subway.
Once you’ve made it to the end of Istiklal Caddesi, I recommend you either walk back or take the old tram to the halfway point, and start looking for a nice café. Make sure though that it has one or more of these huge (removable) windows and find a table by the street side. Order a drink and enjoy watching the crowds pass by. After half an hour, you’ll have a great idea what the Istanbul population mix looks like.
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by Max on November 26, 2008
Located in the Beyoğlu district, Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Street) is the most famous pedestrian street in Istanbul. This three kilometer long avenue stretches from Taksim Square to Tünel, the world’s second-oldest subway. Galatasaray Square, with its prestigious high school (Galatasaray Lisesi), is considered as the midpoint of this elegant boulevard packed with nice boutiques, art galleries, theatres, cinema’s libraries, restaurants, patisseries, cafés, pubs and nightclubs. Some of them still housed in authentic 19th century Turkish architecture buildings (see history of Istiklal Caddesi).
This is the first of a two post series. In this post we’ll take you from Taksim Square to the Galata Square, and in the second post we’ll cover the area from Galata Square until Tünel.
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by Max on November 23, 2008
People who visited Istanbul’s Istiklal Caddesi (İstiklal Caddesi) in the new millennium will tell you that it’s a busy but pleasant pedestrian street in the Beyoğlu district, housing a huge variety of shops, galleries, restaurants, bars and cinemas. And that is exact what Istiklal Caddesi today is. However, most people don’t know that it was formerly known as the ‘Grande Rue de Pera’, Istanbul’s most elegant street and home to the city’s smartest shops, various embassies and churches as well as fashionable residences and tea-houses. A street people wouldn’t dream of taking a stroll on wearing an ordinary pair of jeans. Let me take you on a trip down memory lane.
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