Best Theaters in Istanbul

Gokce Nacar

Oct 31 960 read

Best Theaters in Istanbul

Istanbul is a historical city, thus many of the structures have fascinating tales to tell. Music halls, theaters, and even movie theaters fall under this category. The cinema theaters of Beyoglu, in particular, are worth noticing. And in this article, I'll tell you where to find the top movie theaters in Istanbul. In Istanbul, the greatest movie theaters are generally found inside shopping malls. Street cinemas, on the other hand, are still quite popular among Istanbul locals. Two old cinema theaters, for example, can be seen on Istiklal Street, a pedestrian street that runs parallel to Taksim Square. These classic movie theaters are the first on our list.

There are just a handful of the top movie theaters in Istanbul. The first part of the article focuses on European theaters, whereas the second half focuses on Asian cinemas.

Atlas Cinema

Historical Atlas Passage is home to Atlas Sinemasi. After the Great Fire of Pera in 1870, an Armenian merchant called Agop Koceyan erected this edifice as a winter residence during Sultan Abdulaziz's reign. After being renovated in 1932, Atlas Pasaji became an entertainment and art center, and the theater hall, which opened in 1948, was the largest in Beyoglu, with a seating capacity of 1860. Atlas Sinemasi has been in operation since 1948 and has undergone many restorations. It now has halls that can accommodate 500, 130, and 85 people.

Atlas Sinamasi has been undergoing repair for a few years, but it has now been totally refurbished. It's worth noting that the main hall's projection screen, which is built like an amphitheater, is larger than many others in Istanbul.

Theater Beyoglu

Beyoglu Sinemasi is a relatively ancient cinema that first opened its doors to Istanbul residents in 1989. The cinema, which now has two halls, is one of the district's most famous landmarks. Beyoglu Sinemasi had one hall with a capacity of 300 seats when it initially opened, and it hosted premieres, talk sessions, and seminars for a long period. Nuri Bilge Ceylan's debut film, Kasaba, premiered at Beyoglu Sinemasi as the sole copy. Moreover, practically all of Zeki Demirkubuz's, Dervis Zaim's, and Yesim Ustaoglu's films were shown to moviegoers at Beyoglu Sinemasi.

Beyoglu Cinema was the first local movie theater to join Eurimages in 1994, and it has always been a strong supporter of independent films, screening over 3,000 films from across the globe. It began to have financial difficulties in the 2010s, similar to other historic city movie theaters, and it is now attempting to remain afloat with an initiative called Loyalty Card, which was launched in 2017.

Sinema Avsar

Avsar Sinemalari is a neighborhood in Istanbul's Kartal district on the Asian side. The cinema belongs to a well-known local film firm named Avsar Film and is located in the IstMarina Shopping Mall on the beach route. The Avsar Film has a significant part in Turkish film history and is notable for its cinema hall.

Kartal is a district on Istanbul's Asian side that is located at the outer reaches of the city. Although it is not accessible to tourist attractions, it is close to Sabiha Gokcen Airport, which is the Asian side's international airport.

Kadikoy Cinema

Last but not least, our personal favorite. Kadikoy Sinemasi is one of the city's oldest cinema theaters. It's on Bahariye Street, in Kadikoy Passage. It was constructed as a theater hall in 1964 and has long operated as a cinema theater in the winters and a theater hall in the summers. It was then purchased by Funda Kocadag in 2019 and restored to its former glory as a 318-seat movie theater.

Kadikoy Sinemasi is situated in Kadikoy, which is the most popular tourist destination on the Asian side. Kadikoy is one of Istanbul's must-see destinations, known for its Fish Market and local Turkish eateries.