Istanbul is a city filled with architectural contrasts and a variety of atmospheres, where diverse urban meanings and lifestyles intertwine. As the world’s largest aviation hub, even a short business trip or a long layover can turn into a captivating journey, offering a wealth of unique experiences.
Sleepless Istiklal
Istanbul’s ancient Beyoğlu district is a distillation of the diversity of this 16-million-strong metropolis. Istiklal, the main thoroughfare, is entirely pedestrianized, with the only transportation being the retro tram. Life on Istiklal and its side streets never stops: bars and nightclubs stay open all night, the lights and music never stop. People dance, meet, go to the cinema, and shop.
Expensive boutiques, street musicians, and chestnut sellers coexist on Istiklal, creating a unique atmosphere.
Galata Tower From Europe to Asia
To enjoy the best panoramas of Istanbul, climb the Galata Tower. Visible from almost anywhere in the city, it is one of the most photographed landmarks in Istanbul.
Galata Tower, built in 1348-1349, was once part of the Genoese fortifications that settled in this part of the city during the Byzantine Empire. After the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II reduced the tower’s height by 7 meters. However, in the 1960s, after reconstruction, the tower once again reached 67 meters and acquired its conical dome.
Taksim. Atatürk Cultural Center
The highest point in the Beyoğlu district is Taksim Square, famous for its Republic Monument, mosque, and luxury hotels. It is also an important transportation hub, home to the Taksim metro station and the upper station of the funicular railway linking Beyoğlu with the Kabotaş district on the Bosphorus.
On the eastern side of the square stands a large glass-fronted building—the Atatürk Cultural Center. In 1970, the old building was destroyed by fire and demolished. In 2021, a new cultural center, significantly larger than its predecessor, opened in its place. It now houses a modern opera house, a theater hall, an exhibition gallery, a cinema, a recording studio, a children’s art center, and several restaurants.
