Istiklal Street is the main and most famous street in Istanbul, a beautiful corso with a red tram. A pedestrian zone that will delight every visitor. A large selection of shops, boutiques, libraries, convents, shops of traditional sweets, bars and bars will make the walk unique. It is located in the town of Beyoğlu, and is 1.4 km long. The beginning of the Street is in the historical town of Galati, and the end of the Street leads to Taksim Square.
The original name of this picturesque street was Cadde-i Kebir, which translates to Grand Avenue. It was named Istiklal after the proclamation of the Republic in 1923, in honor of Turkey's independence.
In this street, you can see the Ottoman style from the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, with features of neoclassicism, neogothic, and you can also see art deco and modern style.
The street is surrounded by old historical buildings, such as the oldest underground railway station in the world, the oldest high school Galatasaray, Cvetni pasaj, the Roman Catholic church of St. Mary Draperis and St. Anton Pasovanski, synagogues, mosques, academies and other buildings.
The street was renovated during the 80s, when some buildings got new facades, the streets got new slabs, and the tram line was restored. Today, there is a red tram named Nostalgija here and it is one of the main tourist attractions in Istanbul. It gives a special note to the pedestrian zone and visitors are very happy to stop next to it in order to take a nice photo. Over time, the street only developed, bars, cafes, various shops, boutiques of well-known brands were opened. The organization of art festivals also contributed to the popularity of Istiklal Street.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash
