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Taksim Square (Taksim Meydanı) is the heart of the modern city of Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located in the Beyoğlu district and is a major transportation hub.
History of Taksim Square
Taksim Square was originally a water distribution area established in 1732 by Mahmud I. The square we see today was originally laid out in 1940 by French architect Henri Prost (1874-1959). The demolition of the Taksim Military Barracks and Taksim Stadium (see below) as well as the Pangaltı Armenian Cemetery was necessary for its construction. It was a controversial project at the time and remains so to this day.
Controversy arose once again at the end of 2012, when work began to completely renovate Taksim Square into a pedestrianized area, rerouting traffic underground. In 2013, 16 tombstones from the cemetery were discovered during excavations for the Cumhuriyet Avenue tunnel.
Today, Taksim Square is surrounded by hotels, restaurants, fast food chains, and travel offices. It’s a favorite place for locals to gather for celebrations and protests.
Transportation at Taksim Square
As a transportation hub on the European side of Istanbul, most people will find themselves transiting through Taksim Square at one point or another. The entrance to the Taksim metro station as well as the F1 funicular line running down to Kabataş are both in the middle of the square. Bus stops are located underground. Check out the art gallery if you’re passing through the metro station.
Republic Monument
The Republic Monument (Cumhuriyet Anıtı) stands in the middle of the square. It was unveiled on August 8, 1928, to commemorate the foundation of the Turkish Republic. The monument was designed by Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica (1869-1959) and took 2 ½ years to build. It weighs 84 tons and was brought by ship from Rome to Istanbul.
The Republic Monument is 11 meters high and depicts several founders of the republic. On the north side, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) is dressed in his military uniform and standing in front of his soldiers.
On the south side, Atatürk is in Western clothing standing next to İsmet İnönü (1884-1973) and Fevzi Çakmak (1876-1950). Soviet ambassador Semyon Ivanovich Aralov (1880-1969) stands behind İnönü in a show of gratitude to the Soviets for financial and military aid during the Turkish War of Independence. A soldier stands on each side.
Maksem
The historic Maksem structures used for distributing water still stand on the west side of the square. The Maksem was used as a cistern to store the water and is rectangular in shape, measuring 17.5 x 90 meters.
The cistern was restored and reopened as the Taksim Republic Art Gallery (Taksim Cumhuriyet Sanat Galerisi) on December 20, 2008, housing temporary exhibitions. It underwent restoration and reopened as the Republic Museum (Cumhuriyet Müzesi) in 2024. The museum displays items related to the foundation of the Turkish Republic as well as personal belongings of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938). Admission for foreigners is 100₺ (as of July 2024) and it’s open daily except Mondays. I haven’t had a chance to visit the new museum, but I did see the art gallery.
The fountain that was used to distribute the water is now used as a tourism information center. It’s worth popping inside to see the ornate decorations on the underside of the dome and marble Ottoman fountain. Also, pay attention to the stone birdhouses near the top above the entrance.
Taksim Mosque
Towering above the Maksem is the Taksim Mosque (Taksim Camii). Although plans for a mosque at Taksim Square had been in the works since 1952, they were never carried out due to legal obstacles, controversy, and lack of public interest. The only person powerful enough to get the project done was Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who obtained final approval for construction after many years of efforts.
Construction on the Taksim Mosque started on February 17, 2017, and it opened on May 28, 2021. The new mosque not only changed the look of Taksim Square, but also its culture. For years, Taksim Square has been a symbol of secularism in Turkey.
Taksim Mosque was built in the Art Deco style by two Turkish architects, Şefik Birkiye and Selim Dalaman. The mosque can hold up to 3,000 worshippers. It contains a conference center, underground parking garage, and café.
AKM
The Atatürk Cultural Center (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi), or AKM, stands at the east end of the square. Construction started on February 10, 2019, and it opened on October 29, 2021.
The AKM contains a theatre, cinema, concert halls, convention space, a library, a museum, an art gallery, cafés, and restaurants. The architect was Murat Tabanlıoğlu, the son of Hayati Tabanlıoğlu, who designed the original AKM.
The original AKM opened on April 12, 1969, and took 13 years to build. For many years, it served as a concert hall and cultural center, hosting the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra and Choir (İstanbul Devlet Senfoni Orkestrası ve Korosu); Istanbul State Modern Folk Music Ensemble (İstanbul Devlet Modern Halk Müziği Topluluğu); and the Istanbul State Classical Turkish Music Choir (İstanbul Devlet Klasik Türk Müziği Korosu). The building closed for renovation in June 2008 but the project never got off the ground. It was demolished in February 2018 to make way for the new building.
AKM Music Platform
The AKM Music Platform is an excellent exhibition chronicling the history of Turkish music. It’s open daily except Mondays from 10am to 6pm and admission is free (as of July 2024). The exhibition is broken down into three sections: The World in Us, Us in the World; Turkish Instruments; and Respect to the Masters.
The World in Us, Us in the World
The World in Us, Us in the World is presented on the ground floor. It explores the geographical, social, cultural, religious, and political influences that have shaped Turkish music over the centuries. Sections on interaction with countries on the European, Asian, and African continents, detail the country’s musical heritage, the development of new instruments, and Turkish influences on the music of its neighbors.
Turkish Instruments
One the 1st floor you’ll find Turkish Instruments. It presents the evolution of instruments used by the Turks through traditional Turkish folk music and classical Turkish music.
The influence of geography, from the origins of the Turks in Central Asia, is also covered. Musical instruments from Anatolia and Thrace display traces of Uighur, Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Kazakh, and Azeri instruments, showing a common root in each culture.
Respect to the Masters
Also on the 1st floor is Respect to the Masters. This section commemorates six of the greatest Turkish artists of modern times, including Ahmet Adnan Saygun (1907-1991), Alâeddin Yavaşça (1926-2021), Âşık Veysel (1894-1973), Leyla Gencer (1928-2008), Münir Nurettin Selçuk (c. 1900-1981), and Şerif Muhittin Targan (1892-1967). Each of these artists has made a significant contribution to classical Turkish music, Turkish folk music, or Western classical music. Their biographies as well as photographs, videos, and personal belongings are on display.
AKM Gallery
The AKM Gallery is on the 2nd floor. It’s a 410 square meter exhibition space with a picture window facing Taksim Square. The gallery is open daily except Mondays from 11am to 6pm and admission is free (as of July 2024). Various temporary art exhibitions take place throughout the year. There was a modern art exhibition on display during my last visit.
Gezi Park
Taksim Gezi Park (Taksim Gezi Parkı) sits on the north side of the square. It’s one of the last green spaces in the Beyoğlu district and is a great place to get away from the bustle that surrounds it. It’s full of benches and contains tea gardens, a fountain, and a playground. The park is a peaceful island of green in a sea of concrete.
History of Gezi Park
Gezi Park was once the site of the Taksim Military Barracks (Taksim Kışlası), which were built in 1806. The barracks were badly damaged in an Ottoman countercoup attempt in 1909. Instead of being repaired, they were converted into Taksim Stadium (Taksim Stadı) in 1921. It was the first football stadium in Istanbul and used the barracks’ inner courtyard as the playing field.
The stadium could hold 8,000 people and was used by all major football clubs in the city, including Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, and Beşiktaş. The first ever game for the Turkish national football team was played there on October 26, 1923, against Romania, ending in a 2-2 draw. Both Turkish goals were scored by Zeki Rıza Sporel. The stadium was demolished in 1940 in order to create Taksim Square and Gezi Park.
From 1560 to 1939, the northern section of the park was part of the Pangaltı Armenian Cemetery, which was the largest non-Muslim cemetery that ever existed in the city. It was confiscated by the government and demolished to make way for Gezi Park and other buildings to the north. The marble tombstones were sold to create the fountains and stairs at the park.
Gezi Park and Taksim Square were designed by French architect Henri Prost (1874-1959) and completed in 1943. The park was originally named İnönü Esplanade, in honor of the Turkish Republic’s second president, İsmet İnönü (1884-1973). The size of Gezi Park diminished over the years with the construction of a few large hotels in the northern section.
Gezi Park Protests
The park was set to be completely destroyed based on a plan announced on September 16, 2011, which proposed the reconstruction of the barracks as a shopping center, opera house, and mosque. This led to the Gezi Park protests, which broke out on May 28, 2013, and lasted nearly the entire summer. The protests spread to other cities nationwide.
Where to Eat at Taksim Square
I love heading to Taksim Square late at night for cheap fast food. It’s also a great place to grab some street food from the carts.
Food Carts
Let’s start with the carts. Sampling some of these snacks is a great way to live like a local. The most popular snack is simit, which is a round bread covered in sesame. They’re best in the morning when the bread is still soft. If you wait until the afternoon or evening, it might be as hard as a rock.
Once in a while, you’ll see sandwich or köfte (meatball) carts. In the winter, many of the carts will sell kestane (roasted chestnuts) or grilled corn on the cob.
Fast Food Shops
At the beginning of Istiklal Street next to the Burger King, you’ll notice several fast food shops selling döner (Turkish-style shawarma or gyros). It consists of thin slices of beef or chicken wrapped in flatbread (dürüm) or stuffed into a half loaf of bread (ekmek arası). These places are very popular for döner, especially among tourists, but in my opinion, they aren’t that great. The meat is dry and it isn’t as tasty as other places around town.
Most of these fast food spots are chains, including Bambi Cafe and Marmaris Büfe. You can find them scattered throughout Istanbul offering tost, döner, köfte, burgers, and more at their branches.
Kızılkayalar
Those places next to the Burger King are good for something – ıslak burgers! Think White Castle meets sloppy joe. They’re delicious, especially in the middle of the night. The original is from Kızılkayalar, although pretty much every döner shop or fast food outlet will sell them.
Taksim Sütiş
Taksim Sütiş is a full-service restaurant specializing in Turkish pastries and other desserts. It’s located at the beginning of Istiklal Street just past the fast food places.
Head up to the terrace on the top floor. You can sit and have your sweets, coffee, and tea with great views of Taksim Square.
Kızılkayalar (Sıraselviler Street)
I just mentioned the famous fast food stand right at the end of Istiklal, but there’s also a sit-down version of Kızılkayalar around the corner on Sıraselviler Street. The food is ok and perfect if you’re on a budget. I’ve had lentil soup (mercimek çorbası) and pide (see below). It was too much to finish.
Özurfa Kebap
Finally, in the hotel zone of Talimhane on the north side of Taksim Square is Özurfa Kebap. Usually I try to avoid the restaurants in Talimhane, but I had just gotten off the airport bus and was looking for a quick and easy meal without the tourist treatment. I spotted Özurfa and popped in.
I had an Adana kebab and ayran. Service was friendly and attentive and the food was delicious. The price was more than reasonable. I couldn’t have been happier.
