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Tophane is an area of Beyoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey. It sits along the Bosporus and contains a few historic buildings and mosques.
History
Tophane is named for Tophane-i Amire, the imperial Ottoman armory built in the mid-1400s under Mehmed the Conqueror. Its purpose was to manufacture cannonballs and cannons. Nowadays, only a couple buildings remain. They’re used by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University as the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center, which is covered in another entry.
Mosques
Two historic Ottoman mosques, the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque and the Nusretiye Mosque, are both located in the area. They’re also covered in their own separate entries.
Tophane Fountain
Next to the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque is the Tophane Fountain (Tophane Çeşmesi), which was built in 1732 under Mahmud I. The architect was Kayserili Mehmed Ağa (d. 1742). The fountain has the same design on all four sides and was built in the rococo style.
Tophane Pavilion
Next to the Nusretiye Mosque is the Tophane Pavilion (Tophane Kasrı). It was built by English architect William James Smith for Sultan Abdülmecid I and was completed in 1852. The pavilion was used when sultans would visit the armory and for welcoming foreign statesmen. Abdülmecid I met Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, the brother of Russian Tsar Alexander II, at the pavilion. The international conference to end the Greco-Turkish War was held there in 1897.
Yazıcızade Han
At the corner of Boğazkesen and Defterdar Streets, just behind the old armory buildings, is Yazıcızade Han. It was built by Ottoman Greek architect E.G. Ladopoulos for the Yazıcızade family and completed in 1905. The building contains eclectic decorations and corner bay windows.
Italian Hospital
A few steps uphill on Defterdar Street, walking towards Cihangir, is the old Italian Hospital (İtalyan Hastanesi). It traces its origins back to a small depot established in 1820 to serve Genoese sailors in Constantinople. It was administered by doctors and nuns and gained official qualification as a hospital under the Kingdom of Sardinia in 1856. The hospital was officially named the Italian Royal Hospital in 1861 after the unification of Italy. The current building was constructed in 1876 under Italian King Vittorio Emanuele II, and a pavilion was added in 1898.
German soldiers occupied the building during World War I, and the hospital reopened after the war to serve the Italian community once again. In 1936, the hospital expanded with a new surgical building and opened its doors to Turkish citizens for the first time. In 1998, the hospital closed and underwent a major renovation. It reopened in 2005 as an oncology and rehabilitation center, and permanently closed in 2013.
Sanatkarlar Park
Finally, if you walk uphill on the road just in front of the old armory buildings, you’ll come to Sanatkarlar Park (Sanatkarlar Parkı). This small pleasant park has great views over the Bosporus. It’s also possible to see Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and other important historic buildings in the old city
Changes
Tophane has changed dramatically since I lived in Istanbul. It was once a popular area for locals to visit. There were several outdoor establishments famous for their nargiles (hookahs) and cheap food. I would often visit with friends and spend a few hours chatting or playing tavla (backgammon).
Those days are gone as the entire area has undergone a transformation. The nargile places were razed for the development of Galataport, a cruise ship terminal that opened in 2021.
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern, a contemporary art museum that opened on December 11, 2004, was located in Tophane. It was housed in a former maritime warehouse called Antrepo #4. The museum temporarily relocated to a historic building in Tepebaşı in 2018 while its new home was being constructed as part of the Galataport development. It finally opened in early 2023.
