Beyoglu – city trips between West and East

The Sultanahmet district is undeniably the heart of Istanbul. If you start from here and cross the Galata Bridge, you literally make the leap from east to west (although both districts are still on the European continent). For centuries, however, Beyoğlu has been the center of Western-dominated Istanbul. The history of the district goes back a long way. Among other things, it was an important trading hub for European traders, especially the Italians. You will also find Art Nouveau buildings and the Roman Catholic Cathedral of Saint Antoine.

The district is wonderful to explore on foot. Until you reach Istiklal Avenue – THE pedestrian street – you have to struggle slightly up the hill. But it’s worth it, because you can discover great street art and other curiosities in the narrow streets. Yes, there is also a metro up there, but that’s only half as exciting. Istiklal Avenue has been a pedestrian zone since the early 90s and is one of the most famous streets in Istanbul. The pedestrian zone is lined with European chain stores, hotels and small backyard bazaars. A really colorful mix between Western and Eastern traditions. If you stroll along the streets (and you can take your time), you will finally end up on Taksim Square. Unfortunately, it was a big construction site for us and I didn’t see that much of it. What a pity.

From Beyoğlu we took a short detour to the neighboring district of Beşiktaş. The name of the district sounded vaguely familiar to me thanks to my football-loving friend. Otherwise, I had slight orientation difficulties with all these Turkish place names.

If you walk from Taksim Square in the direction of Dolmabahçe Palace and the mosque of the same name, you will automatically pass the football stadium of the traditional club. The palace, which is located right on the European shore of the Bosphorus, was the main reason for our detour. With the construction of the palace (as a complement to the Topkapi Palace), the sultans wanted to create a structure with which they could measure themselves against the “European standards”. I think they have succeeded. The result is an extremely impressive and beautiful building that is definitely worth a visit.