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Maçka is an upscale neighborhood in the Şişli district of Istanbul. It’s located next to Nişantaşı and Teşvikiye, and uphill from Dolmabahçe.
There are two easy ways to get to the area. First, you can walk down Vali Konağı Street from the Harbiye Military Museum, then turn right and walk through Nişantaşı down Abdi İpekçi Street. This passes through an upscale shopping district featuring several luxury brands.
The other way is to take the cable car from Taşkışla, which is a short walk from Taksim Square. It soars over Maçka Park and leaves you in front of a campus of Istanbul Technical University (see below).
Italian Consulate
There are a few important buildings on Maçka Street. First is the the Maçka Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School (Maçka Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi). Construction started in 1900 but the building was left unfinished because of World War I. In 1920, Constantinople-born Italian architect Giulio Mongeri (1875-1953) began the process to complete the project. It was supposed to become the new Italian Embassy but that never happened because the capital moved to Ankara. It was used as a tobacco warehouse for many years until the 1970s, when it was restored and converted into the school,
Maçka Palace
Across the street is Maçka Palace (Maçka Palas). It was built as an apartment in 1922 by Italian railroad baron Vincenzo Caivano. He hired Giulio Mongeri to design it. Caivano hoped to attract workers from the Italian Embassy across the street.
The building attracted many famous Turkish residents over the years, including novelist Kerime Nadir (1917-1984); poet Abdülhak Hâmid Tarhan (1852-1937); former president and prime minister Celal Bayar (1883-1986); composer of the Turkish National Anthem, Zeki Üngör (1880-1958); and footballer Turgay Şeren (1932-2016).
When Caivano died in 1967, the building passed down to his son, Achille Caivano. Achille wasn’t interested in managing it, and building soon lost its former glory. It was purchased by Doğuş Holding in 1994 and converted into the Park Hyatt, a luxury hotel, in 2008.
Izmir Palace
The beautiful Izmir Palace (İzmir Palas) is on the next block south. It was built by architect J. d’Armi in 1925 for Izmir businessman Şerifzade Ahmed Süreyya Bey. It’s a good example of First National architecture.
Maçka Arsenal
Across from the cable car station is the Maçka Arsenal (Maçka Silahhanesi). It was built under Sultan Abdülaziz in 1873 by Ottoman Armenian architects Simon (1848-1894) and Sarkis Balyan (1835-1899). The arsenal replaced an older arsenal building completed in 1834.
During the Late Ottoman period, the arsenal served as the gendarmerie command. The building continued its military purpose until 1955, when it was allocated to the Ministry of National Education. It’s now one of the five campuses of Istanbul Technical University (İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi), and this campus serves the Faculty of Mines (İTÜ Maden Fakültesi). The building has an imposing entrance, topped by the coat of arms of the Ottoman Empire.
Maçka Police Station
Finally, next door is the Maçka Police Station (Maçka Karakolu). It was built between 1861 and 1862 as an additional building to the old arsenal. The architects were Simon and Sarkis Balyan. It was used as a gendarmerie station until the end of the 1930s, and allocated to the Ministry of National Education in 1956.
