Tophane: Ottoman Industrial Area, Now A Lovely Neighbourhood

Tophane is a coastal neighbourhood at Beyoglu. It is between Findikli and Kabatas. It is famous for its view, modern museum and university facilities.

History

Before Istanbul was conquered by Turks, Tophane was an idle place out of Genoese walls of Galata for some writers, and was covered with woods for some other writers. Its former name is also controversial. It was said that the name was Metopon at Byzantian times, but newer researches claim that its name was Argyropolis (Silver City) due to its beautiful view. It is also claimed that there was a very old temple of Apollo, then the Church of St. Irene or Hadrian and Nathalie. After armoury buildings and barracks were demolished, some remains were found near the spot where Nusretiye Mosque stands.

Sights

Nusretiye Mosque: It is also called "Tophane Mosque" by locals. It was built in 19th century with the edict of the sultan. The architect is Krikor Balyan, who is one of the brothers of the famous Armenian Balyan family. It is one of the biggest mosques outside the old city.


Istanbul Modern Museum: This is the first modern art museum in Turkey. It was opened in 11 December 2004. There are beautiful exhibitions in it and sometimes movie days are held. It has a restaurant with a spectacular Bosphorus view, so don't miss it.


Tophane-i Amire building: Once upon a time, armoury used to be produced here. There were lots of armoury building at other cities than Istanbul. Today the building is owned by Mimar Sinan University. There also held good exhibitions.


Tophane Pavilion: It is next to Nusretiye Mosque. It is one of the important elements of former Tophane square. Sultan Abdulhamit made the mosque built by architect William James Smith in 1852. The pavilion hosted many important visitors.


Tophane Fountain: It was built in 1732. For it was built at the reign of Mahmut I, it is also known as Khan Mahmut I Fountain. It is the third biggest fountain in Istanbul. It is also the highest walled fountain in the city.


Kılıç Ali Paşa Camii: Here is another work of Mimar Sinan. It was built in 1580. The mosque is a small replica of Hagia Sophia. It was built in the name of Admiral in Chief, Kılıç Ali. It is very close to Tophane Fountain and next to Tophane tram stop.

An interesting anecdote: The writer of Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes, worked at the construction of this mosque.


You can also walk up the hill and savour the view. There are beautiful old houses on the streets.

Food and drink

There are beautiful restaurants at Tophane. As I said before, Istanbul Modern also has a restaurant, but it may be a little bit more expensive than the ones who aren't on the coast. There are cosy cafés famous for their hookas.

How to get to Tophane?

It is very easy to get to Tophane. There is a Tophane stop at the Kabatas-Bagcilar tram. You can also walk there from Karakoy or Kabatas.

Where to stay at Tophane?

Tophane has many hotel options. You can also book suits and residences. You'll probably find accommodation with a wide range of prices.