Cihangir and Çukurcuma: cafés, antique shops and Bosphorus views

Updated on October 4, 2026

South of Taksim Square, Cihangir and Çukurcuma occupy two neighbouring slopes of the Beyoğlu hill. Cihangir, a quarter of artists, writers and expats, is known for its cafés, street cats and terraces that look out over the Bosphorus; Çukurcuma, just below, is the antiques district, with steep streets lined with 19th-century houses and Orhan Pamuk's Museum of Innocence. Both can be covered on foot in half a day, in a district quieter than neighbouring İstiklal Avenue. Opening hours of shops and cafés vary from place to place; the information below dates from October 2026.

Highlights

The streets of Çukurcuma

Around Çukurcuma, Faik Paşa and Turnacıbaşı streets, antique shops sell furniture, chandeliers, paintings, porcelain, postcards and everyday objects from the last century. Many displays spill onto the pavement: you can go in to look, with no obligation to buy. See our guide to antiques and flea markets in Istanbul.

The Museum of Innocence

In a red house in Çukurcuma, the museum founded by Orhan Pamuk displays the objects of the novel of the same name; see the Museum of Innocence page for tickets and hours. The Çukurcuma hammam, dating from 1831 and reopened in 2018, also lets you try an Ottoman bath (see the best hammams in Istanbul).

Cihangir's view over the Bosphorus

The lanes of Cihangir run down towards the Bosphorus, and several terraces and the neighbourhood park look out over the water, the rooftops and the cruise ships moored at Karaköy. The Firuzağa Mosque, built in 1491, marks the boundary between Cihangir and Çukurcuma; its shaded tea garden is a favourite resting place for locals.

Infos pratiques

Tips

The nicest way is to start with Çukurcuma, then climb to Cihangir for a coffee or lunch, and come back down towards the Galata Tower or İstiklal. Many antique dealers open in late morning and close in the early evening; some close on Sundays. The streets are steep and cobbled: wear comfortable shoes. In Cihangir, favour neighbourhood cafés, where tea and coffee are cheap, over the terraces on the most photographed streets. The evening feel is quieter than in the rest of Beyoğlu; for going out, see nightlife in Istanbul. This route fits into the article on Beyoğlu and Taksim.

How to get there

Çukurcuma is about ten minutes' walk from Galatasaray Square (İstiklal), going down Turnacıbaşı Street; Cihangir is a little higher, south-east of Taksim, along Sıraselviler Street. Metro M2, Taksim station, then walk; or the F1 funicular from Kabataş up to Taksim. From Karaköy or the Galata Tower, walk up (about twenty minutes) or take the Tünel funicular then walk down İstiklal.