Surrounding

SURROUNDING (within 20 minutes walking distance)

With beautiful old houses and buildings, cafés, restaurants, local markets and colorful atmosphere, Galata district will take you off on a unique journey composed of history, entertainment, art and lots of walking.

For Art Lovers

Salt Beyoglu and Salt Galata: Working in conjunction with the greater changes that are currently taking place in Istanbul’s arts scene, SALT hosts exhibitions and conferences, engages in interdisciplinary research projects, and has a library and archives for public use. SALT’s activities are split between two buildings, SALT Beyoğlu on İstiklal Caddesi, and SALT Galata, on Bankalar Caddesi in Karaköy. Explore: saltonline.org

Istanbul Modern: The Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, Turkey’s first private museum to organize modern and contemporary art exhibitions, was founded in 2004 and occupies an 8,000 square meter site on the shores of the Bosphorus. Explore: istanbulmodern.org

Pera Museum: Pera Museum is a private museum founded by the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation aiming of offering an outstanding range of diverse high quality culture and art services in one of the liveliest quarters of İstanbul. Explore: en.peramuzesi.org.tr

Çukurcuma: Located in the heart of Beyoglu, Cukurcuma is famous for its antique shops, handcrafted jewellery, cutting-edge design shops and art galleries. Cukurcuma, the nostalgic face of Istanbul waits for you to explore its narrow streets, wooden buildings, stylish boutiques and outstanding yet cosy cafés and restaurants. Also, The Museum of Innocence, created by the Turkish Nobel laureate Orhan Pamuk created the museum in conjunction with his eponymous novel is worth visiting. The collection, which includes more than a thousand objects, is housed in a 19th-century red wooden house.

For History Lovers

Galata Tower: The 66.90 meters tower built by the Genoese during the reign of the Byzantian Emperor, Iustinianos in 507 CE, today serves as a restaurant. The balcony that encircles the tower showcases a scene of Istanbul and the Bosphorus. What’s more, Galata Tower is the tower that Hezârfen Ahmed Çelebi flew across the Bosphorus from Europe to Asia in 1638, thus inaugurating the first ever intercontinental flight.

The Camondo Steps: A famous pedestrian stairway designed with a unique mix of the Neo-Baroque and early Art Nouveau styles, and built between 1870 and 1880 by the renowned Ottoman-Venetian Jewish banker Abraham Salomon Camondo. The steps lead upstairs to the historic Rue Camondo (present-day Banker Sokak) and Kart Çınar Sokak (the westward extension of Banker Sokak) where the ruins of the Genoese Palazzo del Comune (1316), built by Montano de Marinis, the Podesta of Galata, is located a short walking distance to the left (west) of the stairway, behind the façade of the 1880’s Bereket Han office building on Bankalar Caddesi.

Galata Bridge: Carrying a constant flow of people crossing to and from Beyoğlu and Eminönü, Galata Bridge is the perfect spot to watch the most magical Istanbul silhouette at sunset with seagulls shrieking around Galata Tower, the mosques atop the seven hills and the historical peninsula along with the evocative scents of fish and bread and apple tobacco wafts out of the nargile cafes and restaurants under the bridge.

Beyoglu District (İstiklal Street): The historical pedestrian street surrounded by late Ottoman era buildings (mostly from the 19th and early 20th centuries) as well as a few Art Deco style 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. The architectural diversity includes mosques, churches, synagogues, old houses, narrow ancient streets, the old embassies of England, France, Russia, Holland, Italy and Sweden and number of historical bedestens and passages. Being the heart of Beyoglu District, İstiklal Street also houses many restaurants, bars, cafés, art galleries and shops.

Religious Landmarks: The Mosque and the hammam of Kılıç Ali Pasha, The Turkish Orthodox Patriarchate, the church of Aya Yani of Suryanis, the Russian Church, the Armenian Church of Surp Kirkor Lusavorich, the Underground Mosque, the mosque of Sokullu, the Arab Mosque, the Synagogue of Zulfaris, the church SS Pierre and Paul, Galata Mevlevi Whirling Derwish House and Museum, Neve Shalom and Ashkenazi Sinagogues.

The Jewish Heritage in Galata: The Galata Neighbourhood is one of the oldest Jewish districts in Istanbul. The Askhenazi, Italian, Tofre Begadim and Neve Shalom Synagogues, the Camondo Steps and the Quincentennial Jewish Museum are not to be missed.

For Culinary and Entertainment Lovers

Beyoglu is the most active entertainment and nightlife centre in Istanbul. The culinary diversity showcases corner buffets offering the best street food, fish restaurants with the best Turkish mezzes and seafood, fashionable restaurants offering the best international menus. Asmalimescid, Flower Passage, Fish Market, Nevizade, 360 Restaurant and Bar, Leb-i Derya Restaurant, French Street (Cezayir Sokağı) are not to be missed to experience both Turkish “meyhane” culture and the nightlife.

For Shopping Lovers

Galata is the best place to find rising Turkish designers, hip shops that carry select international labels and eclectic concept stores. Galata’s fashion and design shops are concentrated on two streets: Serdar-ı Ekrem and Camekan Streets. Serdar-ı Ekrem Caddesi is home to the boutiques of established Turkish designers such as Bahar Korçan and Arzu Kaprol while other boutiques carry chic Turkish and international clothing, jewellery and accessories and concept stores that sell tableware, home décor and gourmet food items produced by Turkish designers and companies, along with coffee-table books on Turkey. Camekan Street curving around Galata Tower has a mix of cafés and shops where you may find local handicraft and souvenir items.