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ISTANBUL TAKSIM BEYOGLU

Beyoglu Taksim Istiklal Street
Starting from the historic neighbourhood around the Galata Tower and running up as far as Taksim Square, Beyoglu is and has always been the foreign quarter and the scene of the city's ballrooms, theatres and nightlife. It reached its peak in the mid- to late 19th century, along the gas-lit 'Grande Rue de Pera' (now Istiklal Caddesi), the centrepiece for an Art Nouveau Belle Époque. French was spoken, top hats and tails required in the now boisterous Çiçek Passage and dispossessed Russian princesses arrived in droves to teach ballet and open restaurants. The Pera Palas Hotel was built to house visitors arriving on the Orient Express, which was completed in 1889. Today, visitors need to look carefully to see the remains of the Art Nouveau era in Istanbul but it is well worth the effort, for example the Botter House next to the Swedish Embassy at the Tünel end of Istiklal Caddesi, with its propellor-like projecting daisies. The mile-long pedestrian street, Istiklal Caddesi, was once a swish European quarter and the evidence is still there, especially in the old passages that still retain much of their original architectural charm and caryatids, although many are now home to art cinemas, music shops and bars. If walking from Tünel to Taksim Square, up Istiklal Caddesi, noteworthy buildings are the Tünel Passage across from the Tünel tram stop, the Syrian Passage at number 346, the Alhamra at number 258 (now home to a contemporary art gallery), the Alkazar at number 179, the Aleppo at number 138, the Emek at number 124, which used to house an exclusive private club and the Cité Roumelie at number 88. Istiklal Caddesi, Beyoglu Transport: Tram to Tünel or Taksim

Beyoglu and the Istiklal Street are two popular places among people from every age category, from teenagers to elderly people. The Istiklal Street is the meeting place for the lovers and friends. The district starts with the statute of Ataturk in Taksim Square. The prominent landmark of Taksim Square is the Marmara Hotel, a tall building which is another meeting place for the people. The Istiklal Street is a pedestrian street which is approximately 3-4 km. long. The cobber stone street reminds one of the old days...There are cozy cafés, restaurants, shops, bookstores, movie theaters, music stores on this street. Most of the movie theaters are located here. There are small back streets where you can discover little but friendly cafés. When one comes to the halfway of the street, the area changes its name to "Galatasaray" which is also the name of the Junior High School which gives training in French and the major soccer team of Turkey.