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Tomtom is an area east of Istiklal Street in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s worth taking a short detour to explore this historic area.
Tomtom Kaptan Street
The most important area of Tomtom is down Tomtom Kaptan Street. You can access it by walking down Postacılar Street, which is on the corner north of Santa Maria Draperis Church. Walk down and the narrow street will quickly turn right then left, where it becomes Tomtom Kaptan Street.
Capella et Hospitium Terræ Sanctæ
At the very beginning of the street are the doors to the Capella et Hospitium Terræ Sanctæ. It’s usually closed, but this was once the chapel of the former Spanish Embassy.
Venetian Palace
Continue down the street until it comes to a small opening. On the right is the Venetian Palace (Venedik Sarayı). It was originally built in the early 16th century and was rented to the Republic of Venice as the home of the Venetian Bailo of Constantinople. It was sold to Venice in 1746 and extensively restored in 1780-81. The building changed hands when Venice surrendered to Austria in 1797, passed to the French in 1806, and back to the Austrians in 1815.
The Venetian Palace was rebuilt on its original foundations between 1914 and 1918, and the overall structure was preserved during the construction process. On December 1, 1918, the Italian army occupied the building and claimed it for Italy as its embassy. It has officially served as the Italian Consulate since 1936. If you look closely above the door, you can see the Lion of Venice.
French Court
Across from the Venetian Palace is the French Court (Fransız Mahkemesi). It handled the cases of French citizens in Constantinople under the auspices of the French Embassy. It was built by French architect Pierre-Léonard Laurécisque in 1844.
French Palace
Behind the gates next door is the French Palace (Fransız Sarayı), which served as the French Embassy to the Ottoman Empire. It was built between 1839 and 1847, also by Laurécisque, to replace the older embassy that burned down in 1831. It currently serves as the residence of the French Consul General and is only open for private events.
The complex contains a church, Saint-Louis-des-Français, and school as well. Some of the best views of the complex are from the stairs at the back of the Mango store on Istiklal Street.
Sœurs Garde-Malades Convent
To the right of the gates to the French Palace is the Tomtom Suites Hotel, which was once the Sœurs Garde-Malades Convent. It was built in 1901 as a residence for Franciscan nuns and was later an apartment for wealthy Levantine families.
Italian High School
A bit further down is the Italian High School (Liceo Italiano IMI / Özel İtalyan Lisesi), which was founded in 1888 and originally located on Nur-i Ziya Street. It shut down from 1911 to 1913 due to the Italian-Turkish War, and again from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I. After World War I, the school transferred to its current location.
The IMI in the name refers to Italian Middle Schools. There’s a high school as well as a middle school in the complex. Turkish students can enroll in the high school, but only Italian or foreign students can enroll in the middle school. The curriculum is presented in Turkish and Italian, and the school is owned and funded by Italy.
Franz Liszt Plaque
Nur-i Ziya Street is across the street from Odakule on Istiklal Street. A short walk down on the lefthand side is a building with a plaque. It states that Hungarian composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) lived in the building in 1847 as a guest of Sultan Abdülmecid I.
Yeni Çarşı Street
Yeni Çarşı Street runs downhill from Galatasaray High School. It makes up the eastern border of Tomtom. There are only a few buildings of note along the street.
TÜRVAK Museum
First is the TÜRVAK Cinema-Theatre Museum (TÜRVAK Sinema – Tiyatro Müzesi). This museum, founded by Turkish film director Türker İnanoğlu, explores the history of Turkish cinema and theatre. The museum is open daily except Mondays from 10am to 6pm. Admission is 10₺ (as of October 2023).
The museum includes countless movie posters, artifacts, wax figures, and equipment over four floors. It’s not a must-see unless you’re into Turkish movies, and only a handful of artifacts are labeled in English. Among the very few interesting items for foreigners would be a 1920 model 16mm camera that shot three Charlie Chaplin films.
Goethe Institute
A couple buildings further down is the Goethe Institute (Goethe-Institut). It’s a non-profit organization that promotes the German language and culture. It’s open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Tomb of Gülbaba
If you make a right on Gülbaba Street, you’ll notice the tomb of Gülbaba. There’s a dedication in Turkish but I can’t find any relevant information about the tomb or Gülbaba.
St. Joseph’s Orphanage
Yeni Çarşı Street turns into Boğazkesen Street and intersects with Tomtom Kaptan Street. Just past Tomtom Kaptan Street is where you’ll come to the former St. Joseph’s Orphanage (Orphelinat Saint-Joseph). It was founded around 1858 by the Daughters of Charity (Filles de la Charité) and closed in the 1930s.
The steeples of the former Saint-Eugène Church still stand, but the building is now occupied by a craft workshop and café.
In the Area
On the other side of Boğazkesen Street, you can explore the Çukurcuma area, which contains several antique shops and the Museum of Innocence. At the bottom of the street is Tophane and the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque.
