Explore the elegant Istiklal Street, with its many shops, cafés, and historic sites, while you discover the Beyoglu District during this tour.
We will start our tour by walking down Istiklal Street, one of the most populated pedestrian streets of Istanbul. It is 1,6 km long and it is popped with Cafes, Patisseries, Theatres, Shopping Centres and Restaurants of all sorts. Our first stop is French Cultural Institute, which brings French Culture to the Istikal Street or as it was called a century ago “Grande Rue de Pera”.
Next, we visit Galatasaray High School, the oldest high school in Ottoman Empire. It was constructed in 1481 and it was named “Galata Sarayı Enderun-u Hümayunu” meaning Galata Palace Imperial School. Next we visit Çiçek Pasajı, one of the first theatres in Ottoman Empire, it is now a passage.
We descend down from French Street, a lovely street built in French style populated by brassieres and cafes. Our next stop will be Church of Saint Antoine, largest Roman Catholic church in Istanbul. Our next stop will be Crimea Memorial Church constructed between 1858-68 by Sultan Abdulmecit to honour the British Soldiers who joined Crimean War by Ottoman and French side. From there, we visit Pera Palace Hotel, a museum hotel, the oldest European Hotel in Istanbul built to accommodate guest who were traveling with Famous Orient Express. We will then ride “The Tunnel” which is the second-oldest subterranean urban rail line in the world.
Highlights:
- Istiklal Street
- Galatasaray High School
- Çicek Pasajı (Theathre during Ottoman Era)
- French Street
- Church of Saint Antoine
- Pera Palace Hotel
- The Tunnel
Languages: Turkish, English