Istanbul – a stroll in Beyoglu

Beyoglu could be called ”the heart of Istanbul. The crowded street life, the atmosphere, the mixture of old and new, music of all sorts streaming out of the shops, street vendors, street musicians, shopping, bars and restaurants.

From the Taksim square, take a stroll down the Istiklal Street. From the top it might seem like a black, wavy ocean of people. But do not worry, just jump in! You will find a mixture of new and modern shops, both well known brands and reasonably priced local brands. Here are also narrow streets and alleys with hats and scarves, CD’s, accessories and handbags. Several cinemas are also found in this street, if it says”orijinal” on the film poster, it means that the film is shown in the original language with Turkish subtitles.

The area of Beyoglu used to be called”Pera” in the old days, and it was an exotic, French inspired area where the foreigners of Istanbul lived. It could be French, Italians, Greeks, Jews and Armenians just to mention a few. Still it is possible to spot French names on some of the buildings – and notice their beauty! Due to the fact that the people that used to live in this area were non-Muslim, there are plenty of churches and cathedrals around. Lift your eyes up from the streets, peek into alleys and discover these hidden churches.


For example, on the right hand side half way down the Istiklal Street, you will find the Cicek Pasaji (The Flower Passage). Inside the beautiful building there are restaurants, but instead enter the fish- and vegetable marked at the side of the building. After a few metres on the right hand side you will se a black door. This door leads to a small hidden Armenian church. It is allowed to enter…

Try a ride with the old tram down the street until it ends at Tünel. This is the name of the place at the bottom of the Istiklal Street. The second oldest subway train (built in 1875) which is still running is found at this spot. It is probably also the shortest, it has only two stations! (The word “tunnel” is derived from the Turkish word "tünel".) Tickets for the tram can be bought in the small newsagent kiosk at the top of the Istiklal Street, where the tram starts. Tickets for the subway are sold in the ticket boot inside the Tünel building at the bottom of the same street.

To the left of the subway or Tünel building the Mevlana Dervish monastery is situated. The dervishes are religious men who practise Islamic mysticism and meditate by swirling around for hours.

Are you interested in musical instruments? You find loads of cheap instruments, both western and oriental in the street starting between the Tünel building and the Mevlana Devish monastery.

Further down the hill in this street, you find the Galata Tower in all its beauty. It is one of the oldest towers in the world, built in 1348 as a fire watch tower. And believe it or not: The first man in the world who actually succeeded to fly was Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi who in 1632 strapped on a pair of wings and flew from the Galata Tower over the Bosphorus to Üskudar on the Asian side of the city. The view from the Galata Tower is recommended, especially at sun set!

There are so much more that can be told about Beyoglu, in particular I should mention restaurants and bars. I will write more about Beyoglu in a later post.