İstiklal Avenue

İstiklal Avenue or Istiklal Street (Turkish: İstiklâl Caddesi, French: Grande Rue de Péra, English: Independence Avenue) is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends. Located in the historic Beyoğlu (Pera) district, it is an elegant pedestrian street, 1.4 kilometers long, which houses boutiques, music stores, bookstores, art galleries, cinemas, theatres, libraries, cafés, pubs, night clubs with live music, historical patisseries, chocolateries and restaurants.

The avenue, surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings (mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries) that were designed with the Neo-Classical, Neo-Gothic, Renaissance Revival, Beaux-Arts, Art Nouveau and styles; as well as a few Art Deco style buildings from the early years of the Turkish Republic, and a number of more recent examples of modern architecture; starts from the medieval Genoese neighbourhood around Galata Tower and ultimately leads up to Taksim Square.

Galatasaray Square is located at approximately the center of the avenue and is home to the oldest secondary school in Turkey: the Galatasaray High School (Galatasaray Lisesi), originally known as the Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu (Galata Palace Imperial School).

In the historic Karaköy (Galata) district towards the southern end of the avenue, it is possible to see the world's second-oldest subway station, generally known and referred to as simply Tünel (The Tunnel) which entered service in 1875. Moreover, one of the finest educational institutions established in Turkey, the German High School of Istanbul (Deutsche Schule Istanbul in German, Özel Alman Lisesi in Turkish) is also located near Tünel.

The cosmopolitan avenue is surrounded by an array of historical and politically significant buildings, such as the Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage) where small, intimate restaurants and taverns are found; Balık Pazarı (The Fish Market); the Ağa Camii Mosque; the Roman Catholic churches of Santa Maria Draperis and S. Antonio di Padova; the Greek Orthodox Haghia Triada; the Armenian Üç Horan (among many other churches); several synagogues; mosques; academic institutions established by various European nations such as Austria, France, Germany and Italy in the 19th century; and consulates (former embassies before 1923) of several nations including France, Greece, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

During the Ottoman period, the avenue was called Cadde-i Kebir (Grand Avenue) and was a popular spot for Ottoman intellectuals, also becoming a center for European foreigners and the local Italian and French Levantines who referred to it as Grande Rue de Péra. When 19th-century travelers referred to Constantinople (today, Istanbul) as the Paris of the East, they were mentioning the Grande Rue de Péra (İstiklal Caddesi) and its half-European, half-Asian culture. With the declaration of the Republic on October 29, 1923, the avenue's name was changed to İstiklal (Independence) for commemorating the triumph at the Turkish War of Independence.

In September 1955, during the anti-Greek Istanbul Riots, the Avenue was pillaged in one night, while it was covered with pieces of glass, clothes, smashed white goods, rolled down and burned automobiles and other goods, all belonging to the wrecked shops.

The avenue briefly fell from grace in the 1970s and 1980s, with its old Istanbulite inhabitants moving elsewhere, and its side streets – then stereotyped with their bars and bordellos – being populated by migrants from the rural areas of Anatolia.

However, during the late 1980s and early 1990s, a massive restoration process took place, master-planned and executed by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Beyoğlu Municipality (including the restoration of the historic buildings, new pavements for full pedestrianization, and the reinstallation of the historic trams), bringing the avenue its old charm and popularity. İstiklal Avenue once again became the center of fine arts and leisure in Istanbul, with real estate prices skyrocketing as a result. Numerous new art galleries, bookstores, cafés, pubs, restaurants, shops and hotels were opened. The venues around the avenue became the host of many international art festivals, such as the annual Istanbul Film Festival. İstiklal Avenue is also a popular venue for all sorts of parades, marches, gatherings and protests in the city.

Шаблон:Clear Шаблон:Wide image

See also

  • Abdi İpekçi Avenue
  • Bağdat Avenue
  • List of upscale shopping districts

References

External links

Шаблон:Commons category

Listed in the following categories:
Post a comment
Tips & Hints
Arrange By:
Julie
22 March 2014
One of the most famous avenue in Istanbul. Very near Taksim Square. Go here to see local Istanbul life in all it's glory. Explore the surrounding and you'll discover little gems all over...
Meyvemix Juice
23 June 2014
Istiklal Street is one of the most well-known avenues in Istanbul. Stretching for about three kilometers, it is the main pedestrian thoroughfare in the city and welcomes
Istiklal Avenue
20 November 2013
St. Antoine Church, also known as St Anthony of Padua, may be the most famous Roman Catholic establishment in Istanbul, especially due to its prominent location near the center of Istiklal Avenue.
Bahram Movahed
16 July 2017
Have you heard that istanbul is a city that never sleeps? This Avenue is one of the reasons it is called that. Late night life, street singing and wide range of brand stores makes this perfect to see.
Metin Toyran
31 December 2018
The ambiance of this street 365/7/24 and all the seconds. It also makes you high. You should visit. It is a little crowded, but it does not disturb at all.
Findistanbul
26 November 2013
Trams started to operate in İstanbul at 1871 and the one on İstiklal Avenue became active at 1883. Until 1914 all the trams were pulled by horses. Later they were all electrified...
Load more comments
foursquare.com

Hotels nearby

See all hotels See all
Tugra Hotel

starting $39

Hotel Yesilpark

starting $47

Best Nobel Hotel 2

starting $46

Star City Hotel

starting $70

Babel Park Hotel

starting $70

Tugra Hotel

starting $0

Recommended sights nearby

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Aga Hamami

Aga Hamami is a tourist attraction, one of the Spa waters in

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
The Museum of Innocence

The Museum of Innocence (Masumiyet Müzesi) is a novel by Orhan

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Changa (restaurant)

Changa is a restaurant in Istanbul, Turkey, established in 1999 and

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Cumhuriyet Anıtı

Cumhuriyet Anıtı (or The Republic Monument in English) is a notable m

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Taksim Square

Taksim Square (Turkish: Taksim Meydanı) situated in the European part

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Nusretiye Mosque

Nusretiye Mosque is an ornate mosque located in Tophane district of

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Tophane Fountain

Tophane Fountain (Türkçe. Tophane Çeşmesi) is a 18th-century pub

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex

The Kılıç Ali Pasha Complex (Turkish: Kılıç Ali Paşa Külliy

Similar tourist attractions

See all See all
Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Christmas Steps, Bristol

Christmas Steps is a historic street in the city centre of Bristol,

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Nevsky Prospect

Nevsky Avenue (rus. Не́вский проспе́кт|r=Nevsky Prospekt|p=ˈnʲef

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Khreshchatyk

Khreshchatyk (українська. Хрещатик, Khreshchatyk; русский. Крещатик

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Stone Stairway Street

Stone Stairway Street is a tourist attraction, one of the Famous

Add to wishlist
I've been here
Visited
Schlachte (Bremen)

The Schlachte is a promenade along the east bank of the River Weser in

See all similar places