This archipelago is composed of nine islands (Adalar)
located in the Marmara Sea. Four
of the islands
(Burgaz, Heybeli, Büyükada
and Sedef) are served by regular boats departing
from Sirkeci at the mouth of the Golden Horn,
Kabatas and also from Bostanci (the closest
point to the Islands) on the Asian coast.
In Byzantine times a number of monasteries
where built on these pine covered islands.
The name "Princes" comes from the
princes pretenders to the throne who were
sent here in exile. Turkish people began to
settle on these islands at the end of the
19th century. The steamboats facilitated access
to the islands, and the population started
to increase rapidly when schools and hotels
were built. In
1929 Leon Trotsky, who was granted asylum
by Turkey, spent four years on Büyükada.
The residential areas have developed mostly
around the piers and
the
sides of the islands facing Istanbul. Traffic
is prohibited in
this
place of vacation and permanent settlement.
Horse drawn carriages (phaetons) are used
for local transportation and also to take
the visitors around. In spring and summer,
it is
very nice
to take a tour on these islands, and particularly
on Büyükada which is the largest island,
with a horse drawn carriage and have a fish
meal in one of the fish restaurants lining
the piers. Map
1
The
district of Galata is
located on the north or left bank of the
Golden
Horn. The
village, which was already inhabited
before the Christian era,
was first known as Sycae or Sykai (fig field),
and due
to its location on the opposite shore, the
inhabitants of Byzantium
also named it Peran
en Sykais, meaning "fig field of the
other side".
The place was fortified
by Constantine
the Great (306-337), and later annexed
to Constantinople by Theodosisus
II (408-450). In
the 6th
century,
the
place was named Justinianopolis
by Emperor Justinian
(527-565), but the
name only remained for a short time as it
would never prevail upon Constantinople.
The
name Galata was mentioned for the first
time with the arrival of the first Genoese
settlers. It
has been claimed that it derives from the
word
"gala" which means "milk"
in Greek (because of the dairies which could
be found around here), yet another possibility
is that the name comes from a Genoese dialect
word meaning "slope". Galata
began to flourish with the arrival of more
Genoese
and
Venitian
settlers
who were antagonistic and fought for the
monopoly of Constantinople's external and
internal trade. In turn, they
made alliances with the Byzantines. After
1261,
in
return
for their help by providing a fleet of warships
to
recapture Constantinople
from the Latins
of the Fourth
Crusade,
Emperor Michael VIII Palaeologus granted
the Genoeses the right to settle permanently
in Galata.
About
1348, they
surrounded their district with fortifications
and built the Galata
Tower, replacing
a former tower, which they used for
the surveillance of the Harbor in the Golden
Horn. Galata remained an independent city
until the Ottoman
conquest. The Genoeses
came under the protection of Mehmet
the Conqueror and were allowed
to remain in Galata and keep their privileges
but the fortifications walls were partly
destroyed. The sultan also made this a residential
area for Greek,
Armenian and Jewish communities. The tower, to which
the Ottomans added two stories, was converted
into a prison. Later the Ottomans used it
as a watch tower to detect fires in the
city, because they prefered to build their
houses in wood as they were more resistent
in case of earthquake (but not in case of
fire).
In 1638, Hezarfen Ahmet Çelebi succeeded
in flying with artificial wings from the
Tower and landed in Üsküdar
on the other side of the Bosphorus.
The
12 stories tower has a height of 61m / 200
ft, a diameter of 8.95 m / 29.4 ft, and
wall thickness of 3.75m / 12.3 ft.
The tower was opened to the public in 1967
and an elevator was added inside. In the
1980s, it was entirely restored.
During daytime, visitors can enjoy a magnificent
view of the city from the top floor (open
everyday from 08.30 - 20.00), and at night
it is possible to enjoy dinner at the panoramic
restaurant where belly dancers, folk dance
groups and singers perform in a typical
atmosphere.
Soon
after the Ottoman conquest
of Constantinople, the district of Galata
became
too narrow because of its dense population.
The richer merchants and the first foreign
embassies progressively moved to live beyond
the walls of Galata to the hills above.
Thus was born the new European district
of Pera
(Pera means "beyond in Greek). When
the Ottomans opened to trading with the
West, Turkish Muslim families, also attracted
by Galata, came and settled in the surroundings
of the tower, but for the same reasons of
overcrowding, they settled in Pera to which
they gave the Turkish name Beyoglu
(the Son of the Bey). Towards the end of
the 16th century, Pera-Beyoglu had completely
supplanted Galata.
Touring
Galata
The lower part of Galata begins in Karaköy,
atthe foot of
Galata Bridge. The present bascule bridge,
located at
the mouth of the Golden
Horn, replaces the first steel Galata Floating
Bridge built in 1912, itself replacing three former
pontoon bridges (the first wooden bridge, the
Old Bridge, was built in 1845). Having been damaged
by fire in
1994, the fourth Galata Bridge was
moved upstream the Golden Horn. In the introduction
to "Modern Bridge by Slam" published
in London in 1901, it is mentionned that British
officers invented the game "bridge"
while serving in the Crimean
War (1854-56). The card game got its name
from the Galata Bridge which they apparently crossed
every day to go to a coffeehouse to play cards.
Today, the particularity of Galata Bridge resides
in the fishermen and
hawkers
who swarm
the bridge whatever the weather, and the numerous
tiny
seafood restaurants located under
the roadway.
In
the past, Karaköy was famous for its taverns
or meyhane
which attracted the Muslim population. These taverns
were located along the quays where, today, huge
tourist cruise ships come alongside
at the harbour station.
After 1917, thousands of White Russians fleeing
the Bolshevik Revolution landed here and settled
in the area (and in Beyoglu) where they opened
churches located, rather surprisingly, on the
top floors of the buildings where they lived (Haghia
Andrea and Haghia Panteleymon Churches).
Different congragation churches, that
serve their communities,
can be found in Galata-Karaköy. Saint
Pierre and Paul Catholic
(Galata Kulesi Street) was built in 1604 by
the Genoeses
next to their old Dominican convent, and rebuilt
in 1841 after having been destroyed twice by fire.
Saint Georges Church, rebuilt in the 18th
century, houses the sepultures of two french ambassadors
and that of Elisabeth Petri Lhomaca, the grand
mother of the French
poet
André chénier who
was born
in Galata at Saint Pierre Han, and was beheaded
during the French Revolution. Saint BenoîtChurch and Convent were founded in
1427
by the Benedictines, and in 1583 a
school
was opened
by the Jesuites; some vestiges of the former church
destroyed a few times by fire have
remained.
Many
of the Latin Catholic churches were
reduced to ashes in the great fires of Galata.
In
Sakizcilar Street, Surp Kirkor Lusavoric Armenian
Church (1965)
replaces the oldest Armenian Church in Istanbul
(Surp Sarkis Church built around 1360, and the
new Church of St. Gregory the Illuminator built
in Haghios
Nikolaos Turkish Orthodox Church; Haghios Ionnis Syriac Church...
Several
small mosques (mescit) were built during the Ottoman
era. Others
were churches turned into mosques, such as the
Arap Camii Galata
Mahkemesi Street) which was a basilica (San Domenico)
with a square belfry (now the minaret) converted
after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans
and used by Arab
immigrants fleeing
from the Spanish Inquisition in
1492, thus its name
Arab (Arap) Mosque.The
Latin tombstones
from the church are now displayed in the Archaeological
Museum.
Another
unusualmosque is Yeralti Camii
(the Underground Mosque)
established in the 17th century in the basement
of one of the towers of the remparts by the sea.
Sokullu Mosque, an octogonal work by the great
architect Sinan,
was erected in
1577 for
Grand Vizier Sokullu Mehmet Pasha. This mosque
is located near Atatürk Bridge and the gate (Azapkapisi)
of the arsenal (Tershane).
The
Jewish community of Galata also opened their
cult.
The conservative Jewish congregation opened their
largest synagogue, Neve Shalom, in 1951
in Büyük Hendek Street. Two other main synagogues
are the
Askenazi Synagogue in Banker Street, which
is the
only remaining active synagogue of Askenaz Jews
in Istanbul, and the
Italian Synagogue
Lâleli Çesme Street. The
Jewish Museum is established in the former
Zülfaris Synagogue. For
centuries, the
district has always been an active business center.
In
the 19th century, the first banks where opened
in Bankalar Street and Voyvoda
Street
where the Camondo Stairway reminds us of
the Jewish Sefarad Camondo family, originating
from Galata, who became one of the wealthiest
banking families (Abraham Camondo was banker
to the Ottoman government before the founding
of the Ottoman Bank)
which earned them the nickname "the Rothschilds
of the East."
From
Galata Bridge, the quays stretch
as far as the district of Tophane named
after the large building of the old Ottoman Cannon
Foundry which
stands accross the boulevard. The lovely historical
Tophane Fountain (1732)
with
its inscriptions and plant-like ornaments stands
in the square between Kiliç Ali Pasha
Mosque, built by Sinan in 1580 for one of
the famest commanders of the Ottoman
fleet and whose
interior contains tiles produced at Tekfur
Sarayi, and
the 19th century Baroque style Nusretiye Mosque.
Lining the square are numerous outdoor narghile
cafés.
At Karaköy, a vast underground market provides
safe passage under the busy road to the entrance
of the "tünel" (tunnel), an underground
funicular railway built in 1873 by the French
(the world's second oldest underground), that
links
to Tünel,
the
upper part of Galata. Tünel delimits the districts
of Galata and Pera-Beyoglu. Map
2, C 3
Galata district with old Galata Tower in the center
and modern skyscrapers in the background
Galata bridge at the mouth of the Golden Horn (left),
Karaköy district and the Bosphorus
View over Galata, Karaköy, Galata Bridge and the
historic centre on the opposite bank of the Golden Horn
In the right corner of the picture, remains of the genoese fortifications. On the left, Catholic St Peter and St Paul Church
The Russian Aya Panteleymon Church on the sixth floor of a building in Karaköy
View from the warehouses at Tophane
Narghile smokers at Tophane
The district of Beyoglu
Soon
after the Ottoman conquest
of Constantinople, the district of Galata,
inhabited by Levantines,
Greeks, Armenians and Jews, became
too narrow because of its dense population. The
richer merchants and the first foreign embassies
progressively moved to live beyond the walls of
Galata to the hills above. Thus was born the new
European district of Pera
(Pera means "beyond in Greek). When the Ottomans
opened to trading with the West, Turkish Muslim
families, also attracted by Galata, came and settled
in the surroundings of the tower, but for the
same reasons of overcrowding, they settled in
Pera to which they gave the Turkish name Beyoglu
(the Son of the Bey). Towards the end of the 16th
century, Pera-Beyoglu had completely supplanted
Galata.
The foreign embassies built palatial mansions,
surrounded by gardens, along the main street known
as the Grand Rue de Pera or Cadde-i Kebir
for the Turks. For example, the Palace of France,
the first embassy in Pera, was built in 1581 on
a land granted to France by Süleyman
the Magnificent. In 1831, a great fire destroyed
about 3000 buildings in Pera-Beyoglu, and among
them were the Palace of France (rebuilt in 1846
at the same place), the Palaces of Poland, Great
Britain, Italy. Some embassies, like the German
Embassy (1872), were rebuilt in Gümüssuyu. This
great fire created a sort of an opportunity, for
in a short time the area took a new look. Covered
with Art nouveau buildings and with the establishment
of city gas and electricity, Pera-Beyoglu became
the glittering center of European life-style in
Istanbul. The Grand Rue de Pera, which ended at
Galatasaray (mid-way between present Taksim and
Tünel), was extended as far as Taksim.
Public transportation entered a new phase first
with horse trams, quickly followed by electric
ones. Some of the primitive churches related to
the different cults of the foreign communities,
were also rebuilt after the great fire of 1831
and another one in 1870.
The
foreign merchants, bankers, shipowners established
with their families in Pera-Beyoglu and Galata
continued to prosper as they were protected by
the "capitulations" which were
special
agreements between the Ottoman Empire and various
foreign governments, giving those governments
and their citizens specific exemptions from the
law of the Empire.
In
1868, the famous Ottoman ImperialLycée
de Galatasaray was opened. French
became the first main language of instruction
of the school where young students, belonging
to various religions, were educated with a complete
religious freedom (Galatasaray, or Galata Palace,
is actually an old institution founded in 1481
by Sultan Beyazit II in Istanbul to train civil
servants. The school took the name Lycée de
Galatasay after the Turkish
Republic was established and the students
were educated within the framework of the new
ideas of the Republic. In 1992 Francophone Galatasaray
University was opened at Besiktas on the Bosphorus
shore). The opening of private schools by foreign
(German, Austrian, French, Italian...) communities
and foreign missionaries, Ottoman religious minorities,
soon followed.
Pera
became the center of cultural life and also the
center of fashion frequented by fine Cosmopolitan
ladies and elegant gentlemen. The Turks living
in the traditional old city or in other districts
of Istanbul loved to come to this modern European
part of the city where the first great theatres,
places of entertainment, restaurants, coffee houses,
tearooms and cake shops were established. Of course
they also came here to buy European goods of all
kind. It is said that the ladies, who were veiled
in Karaköy,
would uncover the minute they got into the funicular
which took them to Tünel,
revealing Western clothes.
Following the War
of Independence and the first years of the
Republic, the Turks took over from the Levantines.
Pera-Beyoglu remained flourishing until the mid
20th century and then entered a period of decline.
In spite of the extremist political events which
occured in Septembrer 1955, contributing to send
away the Greeks from the country, a large amount
of Levantines, Greeks, Armenians and Jews still
live in Beyoglu, mingled with the Muslim population
which is the majority. As more and more people
came from the rural areas of Anatolia to Istanbul
in search of jobs and a better life, the upper
class and wealthy moved to areas where they felt
more comfortable.
Since the 1990s, Beyoglu has regained its popularity
by beeing again the heart of the city's cultural
life and also an important commercial area. In
the framework of the "Restoration of Beyoglu"
project, Istiklal Avenue (Istiklal
Caddesi)and
buildings in the surrounding streets are beeing
restored.
Beyoglu, just like Galata,
is a place where it is worth to take one's time
to stroll along Istiklal Caddesi, the main street,
and in the narrows backstreets where the numerous
buildings of historical character surprisingly
tell the story of the Ottoman minorities, Westerners
who came to settle in this part of the world and
that of Turkish people who succeeded them. Until
the 1930s the common language in Pera-Beyoglu
was not Turkish, but French. This is why lots
of French names can still be encountered everywhere
around here.
Today, the palaces mentioned above generally house
consulates. All the embassies have been transferred
to Ankara after the city became the capital of
modern Turkey
in 1923.
The theatres, movie theatres, galleries, churches,
mosques, synagogues, restaurants, fast food restaurants
and eateries, cafes, bars, cake shops located
on and in the surroundings of Istiklal Caddesi,
make Beyoglu the busiest area for culture and
entertainment in Istanbul, while the numerous
shops and stores make it one of the best shopping
area in the city.
Touring
Beyoglu
The visit of Beyoglu can be started either from
Tünel or Taksim Square. To my point of view it
is better to start from Taksim and finish at Tünel
to spend more time in this charming area. The
main points of interest of this itinerary can
be enumerated as follows: Taksim Square
was named after the historic Ottoman water reservoir
"maksem" ( 1732) standing on its west
side, from where water was distributed to fountains
in Galata and Beyoglu. In the center of the square
rises the "Taksim Cumhuriyet Aniti"
or "Monument to the Republic", a work
by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica (1928),
depicting Atatürk
and his comrades-in-arms (Ismet Pasha, Fevzi Çakmak
Pasha and others). On the east side of the square
stands the Atatürk Culture Center (the
Opera of Istanbul). Beneath the square and Taksim
Park is the main terminal of the new metro system.
The imposing dome that overlooks the square belongs
to the Church of Haghia Triada (1880) located
in Meselik
Street.
This Greek Orthodox church was built towards the
end of the nineteenth century by the Greek Kampanaki,
the architect of thebuilding inside which the Belgium
Consulate is established in Siraselviler Street,
not far from the nice building built for the
Muzuruses, a family
of diplomats, and
which today houses the Rumanian
Consulate.
In the surrounding
streets, several fine houses as well as the Greek
Zappyon School and Armenian Eseyan School
(1895) were built by rich Greek and Armenian families.
Now,
let
us head towards the main avenue and beating
heart of Beyoglu: the Grand Rue de Pera, starting
inTünel and ending in Taksim, was renamed Istiklal
Caddesi (Avenue of the Independence) in 1927
after the establishment of the Republic. The old
and nostalgic Taksim-Tünel tram runs in the center
of this 1.2 km / 0.75 miles lively pedestrianized
avenue.
At the beginning of Istiklal
Avenue stands the French
Consulate, and
from there one will be surprised by the succesion
of shops, restaurants and fast food restaurants,
theatres and cinemas with
Alkazar (1923) and Emek
(former Melek, 1924) which are amongst the oldest
in Beyoglu, etc...
located on the avenue and inside the numerous
hans and shopping
arcades(pasaj)
that line it.
On the right hand side of
the avenue, in Zambak Street behind the French
Consulate, stands
Vosgeparan Church (1863) which, with the
small episcopal Asdvadzadzin Church located
past Rumeli Hani (Cité Roumélie with
inscriptions in Greek and French),
is
one of the Catholic Armenian community's main
places of cult in Beyoglu. The
Armenians
are generally Gregorians but
a Catholic Armenian community formed
in the early 19th century
in Beyoglu through their contact with the French
Levantines, which facilitated the commercial relations
with the latter and enabled the Catholic Armenians
to get rich, as can be seen through the imposing
buildings rising all along the avenue. One of
them was Abraham who got the title of Pasha and
to whom belonged the building inside which was
opened the
"Cercle d'Orient", the poshest
club of the time, located before Halep
Pasaji (Cité d'Alep).
Almost
at the end and
on the right hand side of Mis Street stands a
beautiful Art Nouveau building which belonged
to Mister Martin, the
Belgian carriage maker of the imperial court under
Sultan
Abdülhamit
II's reign. At
the corner of Sakizaga
Street
is the small Aga Mosque whose interior contains
tiles produced at Tekfur
Sarayi, once a Byzantine palace.
On the other
side of the avenue at No 139, "Hasanbey Apt"
was the residence of the famous Camondo
bankers.
On the left of the
avenue, in Küçük
Parmak Street, stands Afrika
Hani (Africa
Han) which belonged to Ragip Pasha, Sultan Abdülhamit's
Great chamberlain. Afrika
Hani, Rumeli Hani (han de Roumélie
or Europe Han) and Anadolu
Hani (Anatolia or Asia Han) symbolyze
the three continents on which the Ottoman Empire
spread.
Further down, after crossing Abdullah Street and
past Abdullah
Aga Fountain, is St Pulchérie
French School opened by the Jesuits. Walk up Tel
Street where stands a school which was the house
of the Mavrokordatos,
Greek traders descended from the aristocracy of
the old Greek quarter of Fener,
established in Beyoglu.
Through Anadolu Street,
walk back
to Istiklal
Caddesi.
Upon reaching Galatasaray, midway between
Taksim and Tünel, on the right hand side is the
picturesque "Çiçek
Pasaji"
or Flower
Passage
(Cité
de Péra, 1876),
built by Cleanthe
Zanno for the Greek banker Christaki Zografos.
The
Çiçek Pasaji was named after
the "Café des Fleurs" (Café
Flowers) which was once located at the back of
the passage. Today the place is famous for its
meyhanes (taverns),
opened
in the 1950s and where live music is performed
by Turkish
gypsies (other
taverns can be found in Nevizade Street, at the
end of the passage). The Flower
Passage opens
onto Sahne Street where are the colorful Fish
Market (Balik Pazari), the Gregorian Armenian
Surp
Yerortutyun Church and
the Passage
de l'Europe (Avrupa
Pasaji also called
Mirror Passage) with its beautiful inner and street
facades. Opposite
this passage, at the beginning of Mesrutiyet Street
stands the Palace of Great Britain sadly
famous since it was bombed by terrorists on November
20, 2003. The palace was in built 1845 by Sir
Charles Barry, the architect of the Parliament
in London. At the back stands the Anglican Temple
St Helena. Past Hazzopulos
and Aznavur Passages, other examples of passages
bearing the name of the families who had them
built,
in Nevruza Street and set in its own courtyard
is Panaghia Isodoryon, one of the area's
oldest Greek church.
Very near is Rejans Restaurant, opened by White
Russians with
whom Russian entertainment, vodka and Strogonoff
Beaf
became
popular in Beyoglu.
Back
to Istiklal Caddesi and almost opposite the Flower
Passage stands the Lycée de Galatasaray
(see above) recognizable from its heavy wrought
iron gates. In 1973, on Galatasaray Square a memorial
has been erected to commemorate the 50th anniversary
of the Republic.
On the left of the lycée, in Turnacibasi Street
and after
Zografyon Greek School, stands the historical
Galatasaray Hammam.
Further down in the same street stands the Consulate
of Greece. This beautiful building was first the
place of residence of the Metropolite of Antakya,
then became the Greek Syllogos cultural Center
before it was bought by the Greek government that
established here its embassy (the new offices
of the Greek Consulate are now located on Istiklal
Caddesi in a beautiful building next to Halep
Pasaji). By walking round the Lycée de Galatasary,
it is possible to reach Çukurcuma where
many antique shops can be found, and the charming
"French street"
(in fact Cezayir or Algeria Street) with its colorful
houses, cafés and small art galeries. The street
has been named
after the French community who contributed to
its renovation in 2003.
Back
to Istiklal
Caddesi through Nuru Ziya
Street, the old Polish Street, where the entrance
of the Palais de France (today the place
of residence of the French Consul) is located.
Beeing the first country to have diplomatic relations
with the Ottomans (King Francis I and Sultan Süleyman
the Magnificent had a common ennemy, Charles
V),
France obtained from the sultan grounds where
the representative of France, the Knight of Germiny,
undertook the construction of the Palais de France.
Destroyed during the great fire in 1831, it was
rebuilt in 1845 in Louis-Philip style by architect
Laurecisque. On
the other side of the street, at No 19, a plaque
indicates the place of the house of
Mr
Commendinger,
a piano dealer and piano tuner, where
Franz Listz staid
when he came to give concerts in the ottoman capital.
Back in Istiklal Avenue and turn right in to see
St Anthony of Padua,
a red brick neo-Gothic church built after
1913 by Giulio Mongeri,
an Italian born in Istanbul, replacing
two former Franciscan churches. The annexe buildings
of the church are of a typical Venitian style.
Facing St
Antony, do not miss the Moorish
style Elhamra
building. Retrace
your steps towards Postacilar Street which leads
to a number of interesting buildings: located
behind the Palace of Holland (1855)
stands the Union Church,
the oldest Protestant temple
in the area. After a sharp right turn, comes the
little Spanish Church which was part of
the Spanish Embassy. In between is French Pierre
Loti School located in the outbuildings of
the Chapel of St Louis des Français, at
the back of the Palace of France. Founded after
1581 by the Capuchins, the oldest Catholic church
in Beyoglu has been severely damaged by the great
fire in 1831. Continuing
further down, a steep cobbled lane leads to Tomtom
Kaptan Street and the Palace of Venice
(1695),
the second embassy after France to lay foundations
in Pera. The Palazzo
di Venezzia has been fortunate enough to be spared
by the devastating fires. In the 18th century,
it became for a time the possession of Austria-Hungary
when Venice was seized, and following First World
War, it no longer belonged to Venice but to Italy.
One of the palazzo's famest guests was Casanova.
Next
to it is the Italian School.
Let us walk back up the same way to Istiklal Caddesi
to discover, always on the left hand side, St
Mary Draperis (1904), another Franciscan church
where an old icon of the Virgin Mary is kept.
The icon is considered to be miraculous because,
unlike the old church built in 1584, the flames
spared it many times. A little further on the
avenue stands the Palace of Russia
(1845)built
by the Fossati Brothers who
also were the architects
of several buildings in Pera and worked at the
restoration of Haghia
Sophia. The "Botter House",
was built by Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco
(he took part in the construction of Yildiz
Palace
and many other official buildings) for Jan Botter,
sultan Abdülhamit
II's dutch
tailer. This building is one of the nicest examples
of Art Nouveau in Beyoglu. Then comes the Palace
of Sweden, rebuilt in
1870. The grounds, bought in 1757, are Sweden's
oldest state property abroad. Opposite
stands Narmanli Han, which originally,
housed the Russian Embassy before it was moved
into its new premises and where, fleeing
the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, White
Russians took
up residence. In 1933, the Narmanli brothers bought
the buildings where numerous artists (painters,
writers, poets etc...) settled.
Down sahkulu Bostan Street,
on the right is the German School established
in 1897 and grouping together several minor German
schools opened after
1868 (the Embassy was built rather late between
1874-1877 in Gümüssuyu behind Taksim, after the
dissolution of Prussia and the creation of Germany
in 1871). In Serdar-i Ekrem, to the right rises
imposing Dogan Mansion (1895) composed
of three buildings around a panoramic courtyard
opening onto Galata. Still in the same street,
but to the left, stands the Anglican Crimean
Temple built in Neo-Gothic style by the English
to commemorate the Crimean
War. Through Kumbaraci Street where was the
house of Earl
of Bonneval (1675-1747), alias Kumbaracibasi Ahmet
Pasha, a French renegade who commanded the Ottoman
artillery, walk back to
Istiklal Caddesi. Cross the avenue and head right,
towards Markiz Pasaji (Passage
Marquise). Opened in 1840 under the name Passage
Oriental (in Turkish sark Aynali Pasaji), it housed
several small shops and the Pâtisserie Lebon
whose slogan was "Tout est bon chez Lebon"
(everything is good at Lebon's). In 1940, Pâtisserie
Lebon, moving accross the street, was replaced
by the Pâtisserie Marquise which became
the artists' favorite café, after having been
frequented by Young
Turks, politicians and intellectuals. The
new owner, Avedis Çakir, enriched the interior
with beautiful stained glass windows in addition
to the Art Nouveau tiles (1905) which had been
brought from France (out of the four panels depicting
the seasons, only Spring and Autumn have survived).
The passage was closed in the 1970s and the pâtisserie
in the 1980s when the building was sold. Many
years later, the
passage
was thoroughly restorated. It has reopened under
the name Passage Marquise and the Café-Pâtisserie
Marquise reveals again its charms of days
gone by.
Turn
left into Balyoz Street to reach Tepebasi
formerly named "Petits-Champs" (Small
Fields). In Mesrutiyet Street, on the right stands
Casa d'Italia and further the beautiful façade
of the former Bristol Hotel, which today
houses the Pera Museum,
and the Grand Hotel de Londres which was
the residence of the Glavani family before
becoming a hotel. Walking down left of Mesrutiyet
Street,
stop off at the renowned
Pera Palas
Hotel to experience
the presence of luxurious past residing here.
This
hotel, designed by French architect Alexander
Vallaury (his other works are
the buildings of
the Ottoman Bank and the Archaeological
Museum). The
hotel was opened in October 1891 by the "Compagnie
Internationale des Wagons Lits"
for the use of the passengers
of the Orient Express train (London-Bagdad).
Among
the numerous celebrities who staid at the hotel
are Agatha Christie, whose room is the most famous
("Murder in the Orient Express was written
in this room), Atatürk
whose room has been preserved as a museum, King
Edward VIII of Great Britain,
Shah Riza Pehlevi of Iran, Tito,
Mata Hari,
Jacqueline Kennedy, Yehudi Menuhin...
Close to the hotel stands thePalazzo
Corpi, built during the
1870s by Italian architect Leoni for Ignazio
Corpi,
a Levantine shipowner who spent a fortune on its
construction,
even bringing building materials
and artists from Italy. But Signor
Corpi died while the construction was barely finished
and the palace was rented, in 1882, to the American
government. In
1907, American Ambassador John
Leishman, using his personal funds, purchased
the property at
an extraordinarily low price
(three
times less than the cost of
construction) on the assumption that he would
be reimbursed when he returned on leave to the
US. Upon arrival in Washington, being refused
reimbursement, he had the idea to invite members
of the Congress at a great party where poker would
be played, humorously saying that if he would
loose, he would forget about reimbursement. But
he won, and this is how the American government
was forced to pay and Constantinople Embassy became
the first American possession in Europe.
In
2003, the consulate was transferred to Istiniye
on the Bosphorus
heights.
Through Asmali
Mescit Street,
you can reach TünelSquare where
Istiklal Caddesi ends (according to the historical
context, I should say starts). Around here, the
narrow streets have a picturesque atmosphere with
their trendy cafés (some of them are tiny but
so pleasant), restaurants which lay out their
tables in the street as soon as the weather allows
it, bars and live music venues, art galleries
and antique shops, bookshops and music stores.
Opposite
the "Tünel"
funicular railway building, do not miss the little
"Tünel
Pasaji"
filled with restaurants and coffee houses whose
terraces are decked with greenery and flowers.
Behind Tünel Square in Yemenici Abdüllatif Street
is Turkey's Chief Rabbinate (Hahambasligi)
which has been established here since the early
20th century.
The
"tünel" underground
funicular railway
(the world's second oldest underground)
built in 1873 by the French, connects
Karaköy
district to
Tünel
district.
For those interested in buying (or just want to
see) typical Turkish music instruments, Galip
Dede Caddesi, the street that connects Tünel
to Galata Tower,
is the right place to go to. At the begining of
this street is the Galata Mevlevihanesi,
which houses the Museum of Divan
Literature, but better known for the most
interesting Whirling dervishes
ceremonies held here (see below). Map 2,
B 3
Italian St Anthony of Padua Church
and the old tram in Istiklal Caddesi
Beyoglu by night
Dogan House located at the
boundery between Beyoglu and Galata
Anglican Crimean Temple
Istiklal Caddesi, the main street
in Beyoglu and the old tram
Café-pâtisserie "Markiz"
at Markiz Passage near Tünel
The "French Street" is located behind
the Lycée of Galatasaray and the French Embassy
The Flower Passage and Passage
de l'Europe (Avrupa Pasaji)
The French Street
At Tünel, at the beginning
of Galip Dede
Street, is the Galata Mevlevihanesi. The
first lodge (Tekke) of
Whirling dervishes in Istanbul, was built
in 1491 by Iskender Pasha, the Governor General
and Imperial Guard Chief of Sultan Bayezit
II. The complex was damaged by a big fire
in 1766 and was restored by Sultan Mustafa
III to its present form. Further restorations
were made in the 19th century and between 1967-72.
Many great poets, composers, calligraphers, mesnevi
reciters, drum and reed flute (ney)
players, whirling dervishes were educated here.
The first sheik (Seyh)
of the lodge was Muhammed Semaî Sultan Divanî,
one of the grandchildren of Mevlânâ
Celâleddin Rûmi, and the last one was Ahmed
Celâleddin Dede. The tombs of Seyhs, such as mystic
poet Seyh Galip Dede, can be seen in the cemetery
adjacent to the lodge. The tombs of Ibrahim
Müteferrika, who founded the first Turkish
printing press in the 18th century, of the Earl
of Bonneval (1675-1747), alias Kumbaracibasi Ahmet
Pasha, a French renegade who commanded the Ottoman
artillery, and that of Leyla Saz, the famous poetess
and composer (1850-1936), can also be seen in
the cemetery.
Galata Mevlevihanesi houses the Divan Edebiyat
Müzesi (Museum of Divan
Literature) where objects, once used by the
Mevlevi dervishes in
their ceremonies of music and dance, are displaid.
Sufi Music concerts and Sema
ceremonies are performed here on the first and
last Saturdays of every month between 5.00-6.30
pm from June till September and between 3.00-4.30
pm the rest of the year.
Galip
Dede Caddesi No 15 - Tünel. Tel : +90 505 678
0618 / +90 535 210 4565.
email : galatamevlevi@gmail.com - galatamevlevi@yahoo.com.tr
Contemporary lovers of Mevlânâ Society is composed of both young male and female members.
The women can be seen here, during the Sema ceremony, wearing colored scarves.
The district of Ortaköy is located on the
European shore, at the foot of the first
Bosphorus suspension
bridge. The most attractive center of Ortaköy
is an area bubbling over with life and its
numerous cafés and open-air cafés, restaurants
to suit every taste, trendy bars, jazz bars
and night clubs make it one of the best
places for nightlife in Istanbul. In addition
to its galleries and art boutiques, Ortaköy
is also very popular for its handycraft
market and especially on week-ends, its
narrow cobbled back streets with their lovely
houses, fill with colorful stalls.
In spite of its modern and lively atmosphere,
Ortaköy is an old district of Istanbul where
a Jewish community settled. The historic
Etz Ahayim (Life Tree) Synagogue,
built in 1660, was destroyed by a fire in
1941. The only thing
which could be saved was a cupboard (Ehal)
in which a copy of the Old Testament, hand
written on parchments was kept. The adjacent
midrash (study room) was converted into
the new synagogue (Muallim Naci Avenue).
Ortaköy Mosque (also known as Büyük
Mecidiye Mosque), the jewel of Ortaköy,
is located in a superb setting by the waterside.
This Baroque style mosque was built in 1854-55
by the court architect Nikogos Balyan (the
son of Gabaret Balyan, the architect of
Dolmabahçe Palace)
at the behest of Sultan Abdülmecit.
The pier located in front of the mosque
was intended for the sultan's barge to come
alongside. From here he could go directly
to the private section on the left, designed
for him. Some plates and the "Kelime-i
sahadet" (testifying ones belief in
Islam) on the "mihrab" of the
mosque are the works of Sultan Abdülmecit.
On the Bosphorus shore, half way between
Besiktas and Ortaköy stands Çiragan
Palace, built in 1871 for Sultan Abdülaziz
by Serkis Balyan. The beautiful bridge which
spans the road connected the palace to Yildiz
Palace, the slopes of Yildiz Park
and its lovely kiosks situated in the heights
of Ortaköy. Burnt down in 1910, and after
remaining in ruins for many years, the palace
has been renovated and turned into the 5-star
Ciragan Palace Hotel Kempinski. Map 3, C 4