The Istiklal Street

The street which connects the entrance of the tunnel at the upper end with the Taksim Square is called The Istiklal Street. In the late Ottoman era, this region was dedicated to the use of the Western countries for the construction of their embassy buildings. On this street there are cafes, shops and passages which had brought in the Western ways of trade into Istanbul at the turn of the century. There is a line for 'the nostalgic tram' operating between the Tunnel and Taksim, and no other kind of vehicles is allowed into this pedestrian street. The facade of the buildings on the street from the late 19th century and the early 20th century, attracts attention with the stone relief and human motifs.
Walking along the Istiklal Street from the Tunnel towards Taksim, it is possible to see, on the right, the consulate buildings of Sweden, Denmark, and Russia, the St. Maria Draperis Church, and the St. Antoine Italian Church. The St. Antoine Church was built between 1906-1912 by the architect Guilio Mogeri in the Neo-Gothic style, and it is the most important Catholic church of the city. In addition to these, there is Pera Palas Hotel, which is the oldest luxurious hotel in the city.

The large space at the center of the Istiklal Street is the Galatasaray Square. The interesting sites of this square are, the Galatasaray Lisesi (high school), which is one of the oldest schools; the Post Office building dating back to 1875; the Ckjek Pasaji with several restaurants in; the Food Market, where eveiy kind of food is sold; and the Galatasaray Hamami, a typical historical Turkish bath. Departing from Galatasaray, on the left we came across to the Agha Mosque built in 1834 and the high stone building which has been used as French Embassy since 1920. Especially the cafes, pubs, and restaurants placed between Galatasaray and Taksim, are the most popular places for morning glory.

E-mail us for rates