Istiklal Street and Galata

Taksim Square is defined by the Cumhuriyet Aniti, or Republic Monument, a cluster of bronze figures standing in a circular plaza. Henri Prost designed the surrounding layout in the nineteen thirties, but the square centers on this monument…

The Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church is recognizable by its massive twin bell towers and a large central dome that looms over the corner of the street. Built in eighteen eighty, it was the first domed Christian church allowed to be…

The Çiçek Pasajı is a three-story arcade topped by a soaring, arched glass roof that draws daylight down into its narrow, tiled floor. It stands on the former site of the Naum Theatre, which burned to the ground in eighteen seventy. After…

The Church of Saint Anthony of Padua stands out with its tall, red brick facade that rises high above the street level, featuring a prominent, pointed arch over the main entrance. Designed by Giulio Mongeri and completed in nineteen…

The Pera Palace Hotel sits in the Beyoğlu district with a facade of carved stone and rounded balconies that look out over the Golden Horn. It opened in eighteen ninety-five to house passengers arriving on the Orient Express, who had no…

The Tünel funicular entrance sits under a simple, understated archway on the edge of Beyoğlu. It is the second oldest underground urban rail line in the world, opening in eighteen seventy-five to connect the steep hillside of Pera to the…

The Galata Tower is a nine-story stone cylinder capped by a conical roof that looms over the northern shore of the Golden Horn. The Genoese built this structure in thirteen forty-eight as the centerpiece of their fortified colony. For…