Lomography

Gatala Tower and Beyoglu District (Istanbul, Turkey)
written by azurblue on October 30th, 2009 , 2 comments (1 vote)

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Beyoglu district is located on the European side of Istanbul., located on the north bank of the Golden Horn. It was known as Pera (meaning the other side, in Greek) during the middle ages, and this name remained in common use until the establishment of the Turkish Republic. The Galata Tower , a medieval stone tower built by the Genoese, is one of the most striking landmarks of Istanbul. It affords a panoramic vista of Old Istanbul and its environs.

The tower is 66,90 meters High. You can pay 10 lira to take an elevator to visit it. There’s a restaurant and a coffee at the top of the tower. The view on the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn is breathtaking. The most famous street of Beyoglu is Istiklâl caddie, running into the neighborhood from Taksim square, a pedestrian solid mile of shops, coffees, restaurants, bookstores, bars, commercial banks and offices. A nostalgic tram runs on it.

Beyoglu has a large number of foreigners of all nationalities living in this neighborhood. The area is also home to significant Turkish Christian and Jewish communities, there are several churches and synagogues. Most of the consulates (former embassies until 1923) are still in this area.