Hello, Hivers!
My day has been a bit hectic, but it is still Wednesday on my side of the world. For today, I didn't have any recent walks to post. But for a while now, I've been wanting to complete some blogs to finish documenting my trip to Istanbul in 2019. And I thought of posting one for today, which is appropriate for the #WednesdayWalk.
It's a night walk in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. This area is located on the European side of the city, in the northern part of the Golden Horn, the estuary that comes out of the Bosphorus and divides the European side of the city into old and modern Istanbul. Beyoğlu is in the modern part of the city. Full of bars, restaurants, cafes, shops, and nightlife. In the evenings, during our visit to Istanbul, we invariably ended up in one of the neighborhoods in this area.
For this tour, I will start at the northernmost point of this district, Taksim Square.
In the center of this square is a monument commemorating the formation of the Turkish Republic, named the The Republic Monument.
This square is the starting point of one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the city, Istiklal Caddesi. The street is full of shops, many of them of the same brands as you find in other European capitals. There are plenty of bars, restaurants, and lots of places to enjoy a chai.
The streets surrounding this street are also very lively at night. One thing that surprised me when walking around here at night was that it was not uncommon to hear Latin rhythms playing in the different nightclubs.
This street is crossed by an old-style tramway, which is mainly a tourist attraction. We didn't get on it because it was always full at all hours.
Something I was surprised to find on this street was one of the few catholic churches in the city, and this is the most important one in Istanbul, Sent Antuan Kilisesi (St. Anthony of Padua Church).
We almost overlooked it because the entrance to the courtyard in which it is located does not attract much attention from the street. But we noticed people going in, and we were curious enough to take a look.
This street leads to an area known as Galata, where there are many designer stores, boutique hotels, restaurants, and cafes.
In this area is one of the icons of the city, the Galata Tower (Galata Kulesi).
At the top of the tower, which is one of the oldest towers still standing in the world, there is a viewpoint to observe the city. And during the day usually has many people in line waiting to climb.
In this sector, many small grocery stores stay open past midnight.
Galata is located on a small hill, which when descending leads to a neighborhood known as Karaköy, a port area. On the northern shore of the Golden Horn.
And in this sector ends the Beyoğlu district.
This is my post for this week's #wednesdaywalk challenge hosted by 
If you made it this far, thank you for reading.
All images and writing are my own unless otherwise stated.
© CoquiCoin
July 6, 2022