Featured
Showing posts with label istiklal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label istiklal. Show all posts

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Some Old Photos of Istanbul That Will Make You Yearn For the Past

Photos are the witnesses of the moments. Especially old photos tell us much about the past. Istanbul is a fast changing city and the old photos show this apparent dramatic change. As for me, the nature and the architecture were better that days. There are lots of old photos of Istanbul, but I'll share some of the one I found from this link, in order not to lose track: https://eksisozluk.com/entry/49938046

I chose my best places for me, but you can check out other photos on the link.

1. Taksim Square 


There are some interesting details in the pictures. You can see that the landscape is much better organized than today's meaningless grey area. You can also see Topcu Kislasi (Barracks), which has been demolished long ago and the government wanted to rebuilt again, demolishing Gezi Park. But the people didn't let the park go.



2. Galata Tower


There are again two things that draw attention. Firstly, Galata Tower doesn't have its conic roof. The first tower dates back to 528 (Byzantian times). In 1348, the Genoese built it with a conic roof. But there was two fires in Istanbul, and it was burned down and restorated. After the roof fly off after a storm, the authorities gave up and built an eighth storey instead. Today it has its roof. Secondly, you may notice the walls at the bottom. Unfortunately, you won't see any of them today. I wish I could say they built better things, but there are only tea houses.



3. Karakoy


Karakoy has changed much, too. The roads are wider, but somehow there are more buildings. The former tram line doesn't work, but there is a longer tram line. Today there is no tram to Tatavla. Tatavla is the former Greek name of Kurtulus district. The pier is pretty much the same, except the huge cruises today. Karakoy is the cruise stop of Istanbul.



4. Sultanahmet


Hagia Sophia is the controversial building of Sultanahmet. It was originally a church and it was rebuilt a couple of times. Then Mehmed conquered Constantinople and turned it into a mosque, covering the frescos. Today it is a museum, and I think so it should be. However, there are disputed again that it should be a mosque (as if Sultanahmet didn't already have a great Blue Mosque).



5. Ayvansaray - Edirnekapi


Ayvansaray is a neigbourhood that is famous for its traditional houses. It is at Edirnekapi, where you can visit Chora Mosque. Edirnekapi was one of the gates of Constantinople. Unfortunately most of the old houses and walls are almost ruins out of neglect. However, Chora Mosque is well preserved with its valuable frescos. Today it is hard to find the museum among the vast of buildings.



6. Kadikoy


Kadıkoy is fairly a newer settlement than the ones at the European coast. People must have thought there was nothing there, but it was a lovely coastal district. Today, it is one of the most crowded districts in Istanbul. And the nostalgic tram is reopened and still operating.



7. Uskudar


Uskudar is also at the Anatolian coast. The Maiden's Tower is still erect with its legends (and its unaffordable restaurant). Watching it and just stepping in is free. You'll see African people in one picture. Unfortunely, they were chosen as servants at that time. The mosque is still there, if you visit Uskudar today.




8. Prince Islands


Prince Islands had much more space and much more green when there was less settlement. However, Buyukada was always more crowded than other islands. The building below is still standing and you can still watch the similar view on the other photo. Today, you can visit all the islands easily. Authorities are planning to open two more islands, Yassiada and Sivriada, to settlement, but the residents of other islands and environmentalist are justifiably opposing.



Istanbul changes so fast that I am doubful about what I write on the blog is still there! I'll keep on writing anyway.

Sunday, 8 February 2015

Taksim Square: The Most Political Square of Istanbul

Taksim Square is the most political square of Istanbul. The writer David Harvey says that a city cannot be without a square. The square is like the heart of a city that pomps blood to the rest of the city and streets. Taksim Square became a square with the Turkish Republic. Although Sultanahmet Square is the oldest square in Istanbul, Taksim breasts the protest for various reasons.

Every side of the square opens to a nice district. One street to Cihangir, one street to Elmadag-Harbiye, one street to Gumussuyu, one street to Macka and one street to Sishane. Gezi Park is the park that accompanies the square. The square beared witness to many protests and events throughout its history (some of which unfortunately ended bitterly). But buildings before history.



Taksim Maksemi


It is on the beginning of the Istiklal Street. Taksim means "distribution", maksem means "water reserve" in Turkish. The aim of the building was to create a solution to the water problem that arose from the increasing population. The construction operations had started in the reign of Ahmed III, but they had to be suspended because of Patrona Halil Riot. Mahmud I led the building finish. Today it is used as an exhibition hall. It usually host nice exhibitions, so I recommend you to visit the place.


Republic Monument


This was made by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica. It was finished in 1928. The pedestal and the landscaping design belongs to Guilio Mongeri. The monument was brought from Rome to Istanbul by ship. It rests on a circular landscape. One side depicts The War of Independence, the other side depicts the new Turkish Republic. Today it is a famous ceremony and meeting point (with alway waiting some police cars waiting next to it).



Ataturk Cultural Center (AKM)


This is an unfortunate building. It is closed since 2008, but I wanted to mention it anyway. It is the big black building that will immediately catch your eye. Its name was originally Istanbul Cultural Palace in 1969. It was then the fourth biggest cultural center in the world. The performances included opera, balet, theatre, concert, and congress until 2008. In 2005, the culture minister of the time claimed that the building completed its time, but there were so many protests that the demolishment had to be cancelled in 2007. Since then there are rumours that it will be reconstructed, but neither it seems possible, nor we believe that it will be used as a cultural center again.



The Marmara Taksim Hotel


Before the hotel, there was a 19th century baroque mansion that was assigned to the French general manager of the Ottoman Bank. It was put into servise in 1976. There is a rumour that, on May 1st, 1977, aka the Bloody May 1st, there were shootings from upstairs. It was Etap Marmara Hotel then. Todaay it's a luxurious hotel which doesn't probably appeal to backpackers and students. (I'll try to ask for the price of its fitness center, anyway.)

Taksim Square, along with Gezi Park, was mentioned in June 2013 events. Under the name of the Pedestrianization Project, it was decided that the Taksim Square should be reconstructed, including the demolishment of Gezi Park, and rebuilding of Topcu Kislasi (Taksim Military Barracks). The plan backfired, but the Taksim Square is a big, grey, aimless and untended square since then. Again, there are rumours that there will be arrangements when the spring comes. We'll the what the spring brings.



History


At the beginning, the city hadn't reached the area of Taksim Square yet. The Grand Rue de Péra (Istiklal Street) ended, and the rest began. The area didn't even have a path to walk. There were sparse trees. There was an enormous graveyard (Ayaspasa Graveyard) then. The AKM part hosted Muslim graves, the Gezi Park part hosted Armenians graves. The Armenian graveyard is carried to Sisli-Mecidiyekoy today (and along with other graveyards, it is the only green area of Mecidiyekoy). The idea was then to bury the death, especially the plague victims to a remote place.

The Taksim Maksemi was put into service in 18th century, and it carried water from Belgrade Forests on Catalca Peninsula to Istiklal Street over Levent-Mecidiyekoy. Taksim Hazinesi (treasury) was built at the same date, and it was used as a water reserve.

Topcu Kislasi (Taksim Military Barracks) was on the area where Gezi Park is now. There were barns on the area of AKM. The empty space on the opposite of the Barracks was talimhane, meaning training area for soldiers. (Today it is Talimhane, which is famous for its hotels.) Ayaspasa Graveyard began to be removed part by part, first for Gumussuyu Military Hospital (built for the soldiers in Mecidiye Barracks, now Istanbul Technical University Taskisla Building).

One of the events that the building witnessed was 31 March Incident. The soldiers revolted against their officers, shoting "we want sharia!" In 20's and 30's, the building was emptied and was used as a stadium. Ayaspasa Graveyard was fully demolished by then. Taksim Military Barracks was demolished in 1940. After that, Gezi Park was built and it is still there.



Where is Taksim Square


Taksim Square is in Beyoğlu district, and is near the Istiklal Street. You can use the metro of which main station was Taksim, but now it is connected to Yenikapi line. By that line, you can go as far as Ataturk International Airport. Another line goes to Osmanbey, Mecidiyekoy, Levent, until Haciosman.

There is a bus line almost to everywhere in Istanbul. Bus stops were carried underground, and some lines were separated. If you like to go towards Sishane (Aksaray, Bakirkoy, etc), you will go underground and wait for the bus to come. If you like to go towards Besiktas (Arnavutkoy, Sariyer, etc), you will walk on the street that leads to Macka. After a couple streets, you will see the Ataturk Library on the right. The buses are waiting on the area in front of the library. (By the way, it is the biggest library in Istanbul.)

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

The Street That Never Sleeps: Istiklal Street

Istiklal Street, or Istiklal Avenue, is between the Taksim Square and the Tunnel (the second oldest in the world). Istiklal Avenue is famous for its night life, but it has many attractions that shouldn't be missed at daytime. Although the street is losing its essence year by year, it seems that it will not lose its top 10 position in Istanbul.

Istanbul is a great metropolis with lots of interesting things, but Istiklal Street is probably the most colorful part of it. You can play authentic entruments, sing in any language you want, wear a Napoleon costume. You can go drunk, or go mad. That's why Istiklal Street is still one of my favorite streets, despite the meaningless gray concrete of the Taksim Square and attempts to ban alcoholic beverages.



Istiklal Street houses restaurants, bars, shops, bookstores, cinemas, passages, cultural centers, embassies (that's actually why Istiklal Street was made for, wait for the history section) and many more. It is almost impossible to get bored here. Here there are also a lot of activities and gatherings are going on throughout the year.

A little warning: You will learn the meaning of "crowded" here, especially you're walking at the weekend. You should be careful about pickpockets, but it doesn't mean that there is a pickpocket at every corner. Just being careful would be enough. And don't believe the people who invite you a place assert to be great for the tourists, or you'll probably learn the meaning of "expensive".



History


A little bit history will show why Istiklal Street is different than the other parts of Istanbul. Istiklal Street has a very long-standing past. First appearance of the city is after Byzantium era. At that time Galata was a Genovese colony (and the Galata Tower is a Genovese structure.), but the part that Istiklal Street lies today wasn't.

The old city of Istanbul is actually is actually Suriçi (the historical peninsula), which includes Sultanahmet, Topkapı and Eminonu. (Although my grandmother lived in Istanbul, she would say "I'm going to Istanbul" when she was going to Eminonu.) The opposite and newer part of the Peninsula was called Pera (the part over Karakoy and Galata.)



Originally Pera consisted wineyards, orchards and couple of houses. After Ottomans got hold of the city, the trade of Galata developed dramatically. As Latins grew more crowded, they had to find new residences, one of which was Pera. The more the trade developed, the more migrants came from the historical peninsula, including colonies of Venice, Pisa and Amalfi, the French, the Netherlander and the English.

Today Istiklal Street houses lots of embassies which were places at that time. You can see most of them while walking down the street. Beautiful buildings indeed. But you won't probably enter and take photos, because it's forbidden. The embassies and consulates at Istiklal Street are France, Netherlands, Sweden, Russia, England, and the near ones are Italy, Germany and Greece.

Sights


Let's return to present and start from the beginning next to the Taxim Square, and learn about some of the important/interesting buildings or places.

Holy Trinity Church (Aya Triada Kilisesi): When you are about to enter Istiklal Street from Taksim Square, you will see the dome and the towers of this church. I would like to say "the whole of it" but there are some ugly buildings in front of it. There are some petitions to demolish them, so the chuch will show it's glory, but for now you can enter there from the side street. It is an eastern orthodox church. According to the tablet in front of the building, the date it was built is September 14th, 1880.



French Consulate and Cultural Center: This plain and nice building is not only for visas. It has a cosy restaurant and cafe in it. If you want to learn French, here is the place. There is also a cinema hall where you can watch selected movies (not the movies in theatres).

Çiçek Pasajı (originally Cité de Péra, literally Flower Passage): This gorgeous and famous passage was built after the big Beyoglu fire in the place of Naum Theatre in 1876. It had 24 shops and 18 luxurious apartments. In 1908 the owner changed. Lots of flower shops were opened the armistice years and so the name changed. In 1940's the pubs started to attract numerous customers. Today it is mostly remembered by its pubs, but pubs that are usually preferred by intellectuals, writers and artists. It had collapsed all of a sudden in 1978 and it wasn't rebuilt until 1988. The façade of the building is one of the most decorative ones at Istiklal Street and the interior is just as good as that. The prices may be a little bit high, but entering and taking photos are free.



Galatasaray Lisesi (Galatasaray Highschool): Galatasaray Lisesi is importand both historically and touristically. It is in the middle of Istiklal Street and many people meet there (another famous meeting point is Burger King, the one next to the square). It is one of the oldest educational institution in Turkey and the education language is French. You won't probably be able to enter the building, but you can watch its huge doors, reminding its glorious days.



Cezayir Street (Algerian Street): It is also called French Street. It is a nice narrow street with lovely building and cosy pubs. As for me, it looks like a street in a small European city.




Hacopulo Passage (Hazzopulo Passage): There are many historical passages at Istiklal Street: Çiçek Pasajı (as mentioned above), Rumeli Passage, Atlas Passage, Halep Passage, Aznavur Passage, Suriye (Syrian) Passage, Elhamra Passage, Markiz Passage, Avrupa (European) Passage. But Hazzopulo is an outdoor passage with teahouses stuffed with the youth. There are also second-hand booksellers and many old stores (Madam Katia Hats, wine house, and so on) that matches well with the nostalgic atmosphere.



Church of St. Anthony of Padua: This is the biggest church in Istanbul, in terms of the building and the congregation. It was first built on Galata in 1230 under the name of Saint François. It was burnt down two times in 1639 and 1660. After 1696, the church was moved to Pera and named as St. Anthony. The architecture of the church is very stunning indeed. The church with red brick façade was built in the place of the old one in 1906 and was opened to worship in 1912. The style is Italian Neo-Gothic. The shape is Latin Crucifix. There is an entrance with two buldings for the sake of the church. You will see this 38 meter long entrance first, then the yard and the church.



Mısır Apartment (Misir Apartimani): Apartman is the Turkish word for apartment. When it is written "apartimani", it is an older spelling and means that you're about the deal an old apartment. It is the neighbour of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. When the Trocadero Theatre was demolished in 1910, Misirli Abbas Halim Pasha (Misirli = Egyptian) built this apartment as winter mansion. It is one of the first reinforced concrete in Istanbul. There are offices, restaurants, art galleries and many more.

Church of St. Mary Draperis: This church is a little bit hidden compared to the Church of St. Anthony of Padua. You go down some stairs before entering the church. It was established in 1584. It is an old Catholic Roman Parish, actually one of the oldest in Istanbul. The church has a neoclassical enterance that with a little statue of Virgin Mary. This can be seen on the street, but to see the square plan of the church, you have to enter from the gates.



Narmanli Inn (Narmanli Han): This beautiful building was built in 1831. It was used as Russian Embassy until 1880 and Russian prison until 1914, then became a property of Narmanli Family and used as a residence. It hosted many famous writers and artists, including Ahmet Hamdi Tanpinar, the writer of magnificent novel, The Time Regulation Institute (Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü).



Crimean Memorial Church: It is an Anglican Church situated on the Kumbaraci Yokusu. It was built as a memorial for Crimean War in 1868. It has a Neo-Gothic style. Today its congregation is Sri Lankan and Far Eastern.

Asmalimescit: Asma means grapevine, mescit means small mosque, alltogether "the small mosque with grapevines". Because Bayezid II had had a mescit built there. And some time at recent history there was a brothel there (how ironic), so my parents didn't like the idea of me going to the Istiklal Street. But the reality is it was gone with the wind before I even heard of it. I cannot spend much time in Asmalimescit anyway, for the fear that food and drink may be pricy (especially for students). For cheaper drinking options, you can take a look at Nevizade or Kucuk Beyoglu (Little Beyoglu).

Transportation


Istiklal Street is closed to the traffic. The transportation vehicle on the street is the nostalgic tram. It is usually too crowded, so I always prefer going on foot. You can use Sishane metro to reach the other end or just walk down there. But unless there is a storm or a police interference, I don't think it's necessary and boring then walking on the street.

You will probably have no difficulty to arrive at Istiklal Street. As Taksim is a very central place (in fact, more central than the old city), you can either come from Beyazit and Laleli, or from the Anatolian coast, Kadiköy and Bostanci. And good news: The metro line from Aksaray to Yenikapi has just opened. From Atatürk International Airport, you can directly come to Istiklal Street.



Where to Stay


There are many hotels at Istiklal Street, and some are very luxurious. Not so luxurious ones may also be somewhat expensive from hotels situated in other districts. You may try Elmadag, Harbiye and Pangalti (Pancaldi) hotels for price comparison. Nisantasi and Tesvikiye may be as expensive, but if you are willing to walk for a while or take a taxi, Fulya is also a pretty alternative. Karakoy hotels and Eminonu hotels are close to both Taksim and Sultanahmet. There are also some hostels there.
Copyright © 2015 Istanbul Friendly