İstiklal Avenue (İstiklal Caddesi, "Independence Avenue") runs for about 1.4 km through Beyoğlu, from Tünel Square, above Galata, to Taksim Square. This was the Grande Rue de Péra, the street of embassies, Levantine churches, cafés and cinemas in the late Ottoman era: its neoclassical and Art Nouveau facades, its covered arcades and its red tram still bear witness to that time. Pedestrianised, open day and night and with no admission fee, it remains Istanbul's busiest street, especially in the evening and at weekends. Allow an hour to walk it at an easy pace, half a day if you step into the arcades, the churches and nearby museums such as the [Pera Museum](/fr/attractions/musee-pera) or the [Museum of Innocence](/fr/attractions/musee-de-l-innocence).
Highlights
The nostalgic tram
The red tram of line T2 runs up the avenue between Tünel and Taksim, stopping in front of Galatasaray High School among other places. Its vintage cars are paid for with the Istanbulkart, like the rest of the network. It crawls along among the pedestrians: more a curiosity than a quick way to get around.
Çiçek Pasajı
Built in 1876 as the Cité de Péra, this glass-roofed arcade owes its Turkish name, the "Flower Passage", to the florists who settled there. Today it houses meyhanes, the taverns where meze are shared. Right next door, the Fish Market (Balık Pazarı) lines up stalls, delicatessens and small restaurants.
Galatasaray High School and the arcades
Halfway along, the monumental gate of Galatasaray High School, founded in 1481 and reorganised in 1868 as the French-language Ottoman imperial lycée, gives its name to the square. Old arcades such as Hazzopulo, Atlas or Avrupa Pasajı hide cafés, second-hand booksellers and shops.
The Church of St Anthony of Padua
Behind a courtyard opening onto the avenue, this neo-Gothic red-brick church, completed in 1912, is the largest Catholic church in Istanbul. The future Pope John XXIII preached here when he was apostolic delegate to Turkey. Go in quietly, outside services.
Taksim Square
At the end of the avenue, the vast square is dominated by the Republic Monument (1928), which celebrates the founding of modern Turkey, by the Taksim Mosque, inaugurated in 2021, and by the Atatürk Cultural Centre (AKM), rebuilt and reopened the same year. Gezi Park borders it to the north.
Infos pratiques
Tips
The avenue is free and always open; only transport costs money, paid with the Istanbulkart. For a downhill walk, start at Taksim (metro M2 or the F1 funicular from Kabataş) and finish at Tünel, from where you can walk to the [Galata Tower](/fr/attractions/tour-de-galata) and the [Galata and Karaköy](/fr/articles/quartier-galata-karakoy-istanbul) district. The parallel streets (Cihangir, Çukurcuma, Asmalımescit) are quieter and better for eating. The crowds are very dense on Friday and Saturday evenings: keep your phone and wallet in a closed pocket. During demonstrations or rallies, especially around 1 May, access to Taksim Square and some metro stations may be closed: check local news before setting out. For upmarket shopping, carry on north to [Nişantaşı](/fr/attractions/nisantasi-istanbul).
How to get there
İstiklal Caddesi, Beyoğlu, Istanbul, between Tünel Square and Taksim Square. Metro M2, Taksim station (exits onto the square) or Şişhane (Tünel side exit, at the other end of the avenue). F1 funicular from Kabataş, terminus of tram T1 and of the ferries, up to Taksim. The historic Tünel funicular (F2), opened in 1875, from Karaköy up to Tünel Square. Nostalgic tram T2 along the avenue between Tünel and Taksim. See also our guide to [getting around Istanbul](/fr/articles/transports-istanbul).
Opening hours
Nearby
Comments
No comments yet.