Istanbul’s Historical Peninsula, adorned with a vast number of museums and historical monuments, is the first destination for thousands of foreign and Turkish tourists. Indeed, it wouldn’t be incorrect to describe this peninsula as a summary of Istanbul’s history over thousands of years.
According to the legend, the Delphic Oracle first instructed the Megarions to establish a city here... During the Byzantine Empire, Constantine chose this very spot as his capital, and it was here that the keys to the city were given to Mehmed the Conquerer... Every emperor and every king cherished dreams of this place... Welcome, then, to one of the most important witnesses of world history, the Historical Peninsula...
Without a doubt, the first destination of all visitors to Istanbul, both Turkish and foreign, is the Historical Peninsula. Upon stepping onto this peninsula, one can gaze directly at some of the world’s most important historical monuments. Among these historical treasures are Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Yerebatan Cistern, the Archeology Museum, Topkapı Palace, and the Süleymaniye Mosque. You will also come face to face with the centuries old churches, mosques, and houses along the Golden Horn.
BEYOĞLU
Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. It was known as Pera in the Middle Ages, and this name remained in common use until the early 20th century and the establishment of the Turkish Republic.
The district encompasses other neighbourhoods’ located north of the Golden Horn, including Galata (the medieval Genoese citadel from which Beyoğlu itself originated), Karaköy, Cihangir, Şişhane, Tepebaşı, Tarlabaşı, Dolapdere and Kasımpaşa, and is connected to the old city centre across the Golden Horn through the Galata Bridge and Unkapanı Bridge. Beyoğlu is the most active art, entertainment and night life centre of Istanbul.
İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu
Modern day Beyoğlu is a major entertainment and shopping district for people from all sorts of ages and backgrounds in Istanbul. Most of the city's historic pubs and winehouses are located in the areas around İstiklal Avenue in Beyoğlu. The 19th century Çiçek Pasajı (literally Flower Passage in Turkish, or Cité de Péra in French, opened in 1876) on İstiklal Avenue can be described as a miniature version of the famous Galleria in Milan, Italy, and has rows of historic pubs, winehouses and restaurants. The site of Çiçek Pasajı was originally occupied by the Naum Theatre, which was burned during the great fire of Pera in 1870. The theatre was frequently visited by Sultans Abdülaziz and Abdülhamid II, and hosted Giuseppe Verdi's play Il Trovatore before the opera houses of Paris. After the fire of 1870, the theatre was purchased by the local Greek banker Hristaki Zoğrafos Efendi, and Italian architect Zanno designed the current building, which was called Cité de Péra or Hristaki Pasajı in its early years.
Pano, established by Panayot Papadopoulos in 1898, and the neighbouring Viktor Levi, established in 1914, are among the oldest winehouses in the city and are located on Kalyoncu Kulluk Street near the British Consulate and Galatasaray Square. Cumhuriyet Meyhanesi (literally Republic Winehouse), called this way since the early 1930s but originally established in the early 1890s, is another popular historic winehouse and is located in the nearby Sahne Street, along with the Hazzopulo Winehouse, established in 1871, inside the Hazzopulo Pasajı (Hazzopulo Passage) which connects Sahne Street and Meşrutiyet Avenue.
Pera Museum exhibits some of the most interesting works of art from the late Ottoman period, such as the famous Kaplumbağa Terbiyecisi (Turtle Trainer) of Osman Hamdi Bey. Apart from its permanent collection, the museum also hosts visiting exhibitions, which included the works of world-famous artists like Rembrand
Doğançay Museum, Turkey's first contemporary art museum dedicated to the works of a single artist, officially opened its doors to the public in 2004. While the museum almost exclusively displays the works of its founder Burhan Doğançay, one of Turkey's foremost contemporary artists,
Hotel Pera Palace, built in 1892 for hosting the passengers of the Orient Express, is another renowned structure in the district. Agatha Christie wrote her most famous novel, Murder on the Orient Express, in this hotel, and her room is still conserved as a museum.
S. Antonio di Padova on İstiklal Avenue, the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, and Neve Shalom Synagogue, the largest synagogue in the city, are also in Beyoğlu. There are numerous other Catholic and Orthodox churches in the area
Grand Bazaar
Going to the Grand Bazaar is an event. There are plenty of soveneir shops in Istanbul, but none offer the excitement of this covered market. Because this is a tourist haven, shop keepers raise the asking price of the merchandise. This means you will have to bargain hard for a fair price. You might pay anywhere from 25-percent and 75-percent of the asking price. Whatever you find in one store, it can certainly be found in a dozen nearby shops.
The Grand Bazaar (Kapalicarsi in Turkish) is one of the the largest covered markets in the world with its 4400 shops, 3000 firms, some 17 hans (separate inns for specific type of products), 64 streets,25.000 employees, 4 fountains, 2 mosques and 22 gates. It's a real heaven for shoppers and a good opportunity for people to discover the Turkish hospitality.
It looks like a labyrinth at first sight but it's actually not that complicated. All you have to do is to keep your eyes on the main street (Kalpakcilarbasi Street, the jewelry street). The Bazaar was first constructed in 1464 with the order of Mehmed II 'the Conqueror' and had many restorations over the years due to the extensive fires and destructive earthquakes. There are tens of cafés, a police station, little mosques, in the bazaar tourists information points.
