Istanbul has so much to offer, so much to do and so much to see, so it becomes difficult to choose, especially when you have a few days available. Despite all this, you should always “get by” at least half a day to walk along.
Istiklal Caddesi, probably the most famous street in Istanbul, maybe even only in the evening, since here the life never sleeps.
The history of this avenue, also known as Grande Rue de Pera when French was the language of diplomacy, is the history of Istanbul. At the time of Ottoman here met the intelligentsia of the city, attracting then the Europeans, so it is in a short time the Paris of the East, including embassies, churches and palaces. With the advent of the Republic, the Turkish bourgeois replaced the Europeans, who had left Istanbul, but the worst was yet to come, with the violence against the Greeks of 1955, and the street reduced to loose, place and receptacle of brothels, between the 1970 and 1980. Continue reading “Where to go in Istanbul: Istiklal Caddesi”