What to Do in Beyoglu District?
What to Do in Beyoglu District?
Beyoglu is one of the oldest places in Istanbul. The history of the Beyoglu neighborhood dates back to the Byzantine Empire. Located on the north of the Golden Horn, Beyoglu used to be considered as “Paris of the East” until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. With its historical buildings, palaces, luxury shops, you should stop by Beyoglu district before leaving Istanbul!
Due to its wide history, you could spend weeks exploring Beyoglu’s bohemian and historical atmosphere. However, if you do not have weeks to do that, here is a small list for you to sort best things to do in Beyoglu.
Visit Galata Tower
Galata Tower -was built in 528 by Byzantine Emperor Anastasius- is considered one of the oldest towers in the world. The Golden Horn and Bosphorus Straits can be seen from the tower, which was also used as a fire watchtower in the 18th century. Since it is in the center of the city, transportation is also very easy. The tower has two elevators to take you to the top, where you can watch the beauty of Istanbul. Especially in the sunset time, there are long queues of people waiting to see and photograph the sunset, however, it is recommended that watch the sunset on the top of the tower, so, it is worth waiting!
Visit Museums
You can find so many museums in the Beyoglu district such as Madame Tussauds Museum, Pera Museum, Salt Galata, Istanbul Modern, Museum of Illusions, Rahmi Koc Museum, Turvak Theatre Museum and Orhan Kemal Museum. Of course, there are more than that, however, these museums are valuable in terms of their contents. They are great places to escape from the crowds and immerse yourself in some culture and art!
Walk around Istiklal Street
Istiklal Street is one of the most beautiful areas to see in Istanbul, it is nearly 1.5 kilometers long and there are magnificent historical buildings, shopping malls, restaurants, book shops, and passages. The street is full of people whenever you stop by, millions of people visiting it every day. Do not skip it!
Go to a Turkish Bath
Known as Hamam in Turkish, Istanbul is very rich in terms of Turkish Baths. The most important Turkish baths such as Aga Hammam, Kilic Ali Pasa Hammam, and Galatasaray Hammam are located in Beyoglu. It would be a very relaxing activity for you!
Stop by Karakoy
With its fancy buildings, plenty of nice restaurants, and coffee shops, Karakoy is one of the best places to see around Beyoglu. Besides the restaurants and coffee shops, Bankalar Street in Karakoy is symbolizing Ottoman Empire’s social and economic change in the 19th Century.
Karakoy has a completely different atmosphere than Istiklal Street because there are brand new stores opened in recent years, which is very enjoyable. You can also find second-hand stores with infrequent goods in Karakoy.
More posts by Editor Istanbul