Taksim & İstiklal Street (Beyoğlu), Istanbul

Long before it became a symbol of modern Istanbul, the ridge above Galata was known as Pera – Greek for "beyond" – the vineyards and cemeteries across the Golden Horn from the old city. After the Ottoman conquest of 1453, foreign embassies, merchants and Levantine families gradually settled along its main road, then called the Grande Rue de Péra or Cadde-i Kebir. By the 19th century it was the most cosmopolitan street in the empire, lined with embassies, churches, theatres, patisseries and department stores in European styles.

Taksim takes its name from the stone water-distribution building (taksim means "division") built in 1732 under Sultan Mahmud I, which shared out water arriving from the reservoirs of the Belgrade Forest. The building still stands at the edge of the square. In 1875 the Tünel funicular opened between Karaköy and the southern end of the street, one of the oldest underground railways in the world, and horse-drawn and later electric trams ran along the avenue.

The great passages date from this era: the Cité de Péra, today's Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage), was completed in 1876, and arcades such as Hazzopulo and Avrupa Pasajı followed. The Catholic Church of St Anthony of Padua, the largest in the city, was finished in 1912, and Galatasaray High School traces its roots to a palace school founded in 1481.

After the founding of the Republic the avenue was renamed İstiklal (Independence) Caddesi, and in 1928 the Republic Monument by Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica was unveiled in Taksim Square. The street was pedestrianised around 1990, when the red nostalgic tram returned between Taksim and Tünel. Recent landmarks include the Taksim Mosque and the rebuilt Atatürk Cultural Center, both opened in 2021.

Walk the 1.4-kilometre avenue from Taksim Square down to Tünel, or ride the nostalgic tram one way and stroll back. Look up as you go: the upper floors carry some of the finest Belle Époque façades in Istanbul. Duck into the passages – Çiçek Pasajı for meyhane dining under a glass roof, Hazzopulo for a quiet tea garden, Avrupa Pasajı for small shops and souvenirs.

Next to Çiçek Pasajı, the Balık Pazarı (Fish Market) and Nevizade Street are lined with fishmongers, pickle shops and meyhanes serving meze and rakı – best in the evening. Try the famous "wet burger" on Taksim Square, Turkish delight and baklava from historic confectioners, and stuffed mussels from street vendors.

Culture lovers can visit the Pera Museum, home to Orientalist paintings including Osman Hamdi Bey's The Tortoise Trainer, the Church of St Anthony of Padua, and the concerts and exhibitions of the Atatürk Cultural Center. Side streets towards Cihangir and Çukurcuma hide antique shops, cafés and Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence.

From Tünel, continue downhill to Galata Tower and Karaköy. Mornings are calm and good for photos; evenings and weekends bring crowds, street musicians and the liveliest nightlife in the city.

For a break from the crowds, climb to a rooftop bar or café in the side streets for views over the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus, or browse the bookshops and record stores that still line parts of the avenue.

Taksim is served by the M2 metro (Taksim station) and the F1 funicular from Kabataş, which connects with the T1 tram from Sultanahmet. At the other end, the historic Tünel funicular links Karaköy with the bottom of İstiklal. The avenue is pedestrianised and slopes gently, so wear comfortable shoes.

İstiklal is busy around the clock: keep bags zipped and phones in front pockets, and politely decline overly friendly strangers who suggest a bar, as bill scams are known in the area. Churches and mosques require modest dress. Visit on a weekday morning for a quieter walk, or after sunset to see the street at its most lively.