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Beyazıt Square (Beyazıt Meydanı) is one of the busiest squares in Istanbul. Its official name is Liberty Square (Hürriyet Meydanı) and it’s located in the Fatih district.
History of Beyazıt Square
Dating back to the Byzantine period, Beyazıt Square can trace its origins to the Forum of Theodosius. The current form of Beyazıt Square was designed in 1958 by Turkish architect Turgut Cansever (1921-2009).
There used to be heavy traffic at the square due to hosting a major Istanbul city bus terminal and its proximity to the Grand Bazaar, but the zone was pedestrianized in March 2022. This decision was made to reduce noise and air pollution caused by private vehicles and to make the area more bicycle and pedestrian friendly. The area is closed to private, logistical, and tourist vehicles from 10am to 9pm. Taxis, commercial, and tourist vehicles are allowed to enter two or three times a day during determined time slots.
Notorious Events at Beyazıt Square
Beyazıt Square has seen its share of tragic moments. On June 15, 1915, 20 Armenian activists were hanged there by the Ottoman government during the Armenian Genocide. On February 16, 1969, the square witnessed the beginning of Bloody Sunday (Kanlı Pazar), when left-wing students and labor unions gathered to protest the American Sixth Fleet dropping anchor in the Bosporus. Finally, on March 16, 1978, attackers massacred 7 Istanbul University students and injured 41 others using a bomb and gunfire.
Organization of this Post
Several important buildings and landmarks surround Beyazıt Square. I’ll cover them from the center of the square, then up to the north side and continuing around in a clockwise direction. Not included here are a couple structures related to the Bayezid II Mosque complex.
Bayezid II Mosque
First, dominating the center of the square to the east is the Bayezid II Mosque, which is covered in a separate post. It was built between 1501 and 1506 and was commissioned by Sultan Bayezid II.
Istanbul University
Taking up almost the entire north side of the square is the gate to Istanbul University (İstanbul Üniversitesi). It’s the oldest learning institution in Turkey.
Istanbul University was founded as an Islamic theological school by Mehmed the Conqueror shortly after the Fall on Constantinople in 1453. On July 23, 1846, the theological school was reorganized and named the Darülfünun. Other sciences and fields became available for study, such as history, medicine, philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, geography, law, and literature. The school was renamed Istanbul University on August 1, 1933. There are five campuses, with the main campus at Beyazıt Square.
The main campus was once the site of the Old Palace (Eski Saray), which preceded Topkapi Palace. The main campus building was once used by the Ottoman Ministry of War. There are some Byzantine and Roman ruins still visible on the campus as well.
Monumental Gate
The monumental gate to Istanbul University is one of the most prominent landmarks on Beyazıt Square. It was designed in 1867 by French architect Marie-Auguste Antoine Bourgeois (1821-1884) for the Ottoman Ministry of War (Harbiye Nezareti).
Beyazıt Tower
Beyazıt Tower (Beyazıt Kulesi) is located on the campus of Istanbul University and inaccessible to the public. It was originally built out of wood in 1749 as a fire watch tower. Ironically, it burned down in 1756. Another wooden tower replaced it, but it was torn down during a riot by the Janissaries in 1826 after their corps was dissolved by Sultan Mahmud II. A third wooden tower was built the same year by Ottoman Armenian architect Krikor Balyan (1764-1831), but that too was burned by supporters of the Janissaries.
Finally, in 1828, Krikor’s younger brother, Senekerim Balyan (1768-1833), had the sense to build the stone tower we see today. It originally stood 50 meters but was restored in 1889 and is now 85 meters high. There are 256 stairs to the top. Two firefighters are stationed at the tower on three shifts.
Beyazıt State Library
Sitting on the northeast corner of Beyazıt Square is the Beyazıt State Library (Beyazıt Devlet Kütüphanesi). It’s one of the oldest libraries in Istanbul. It was originally established by Sultan Abdülhamid II on June 24, 1884, as the Ottoman Public Library (Kütüphane-i Umumî Osmanî). It was the first national library of the Ottoman Empire. The name changed to the Beyazıt State Library (Beyazıt Devlet Kütüphanesi) in 1961.
The collection of the Beyazıt State Library boasts over 1.5 million published materials, including nearly 1 million books; 135,000 volumes of magazines; 65,000 maps, postcards, and movie posters; and 55,000 volumes of newspapers.
Buildings of the Beyazıt State Library
The main building originally functioned as the soup kitchen (imaret) and caravanserai (kervansaray) of the Bayezid II Mosque complex. It was built by Sultan Bayezid II between 1501 and 1506. The building was chosen for its central location and features 17 domes. The soup kitchen contained kitchens, cellars, and dining rooms surrounding a partially arcaded courtyard, while the caravanserai was a single room with six domes connected to the northwest side of the building.
The modern wing to the left of the original library was built between 1867 and 1876 as the Faculty of Dentistry for Istanbul University. It was donated to the library and opened to the public on April 1, 1988, after a long restoration process.
Visiting the Beyazıt State Library
The Beyazıt State Library is a public library open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The reading room is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. I didn’t find security to be the friendliest group in Istanbul, but dealing with them was worth the few minutes of frustration. After asking me several times why I wanted to visit, I had to remind them that it’s a PUBLIC library and they finally allowed me to enter.
In just a few minutes, I was able to admire the domes, some of which contained windows to illuminate the reading room with soft natural light, as well as a small collection of rare books on display.
The books on view during my short visit were cookbooks published during the Ottoman period and the first years of the Turkish Republic.
Old Book Bazaar
Just south of the library is the Old Book Bazaar (Sahaflar Çarşısı). It has operated as a book and paper market since the Byzantine period. Book lovers and students head there to find all kinds of used books and textbooks for sale.
Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Madrasa
On the far eastern corner of the square heading towards Çemberlitaş is Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Madrasa (Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Paşa Medresesi). Construction was started in the late 17th century by Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha (1635-1683), a Grand Vizier under Mehmed IV.
After his failure at the Siege of Vienna in 1683, Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha was executed by the Sultan and the project was abandoned. The madrasa was completed in 1690 by his son, Ali Bey, and architect Mimar Hamdi.
The Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha Madrasa consisted of a classroom, primary school, student cells, public fountain, shops, and cemetery. The classroom, which also functioned as a prayer room, is in the northeast corner of the complex. It’s covered by a dome and has an arched portico at the entrance. The shops were demolished during widening of the road in 1956 and the fountain and cemetery were moved to a side street.
Today, the madrasa houses the Istanbul Conquest Society (İstanbul Fetih Cemiyeti) and the Yahya Kemal Institute and Museum (Yahya Kemal Enstitüsü ve Müzesi). The museum is dedicated to Turkish poet Yahya Kemal (1884-1958).
Simkeşhane
Walking all the way down the street to the west side of the square is Simkeşhane. It was originally built by Sekbanbaşı Yakup Ağa in 1463 on top of a priest’s house. Sekbanbaşı Yakup Ağa was the leader of the Sekban, an Ottoman irregular military unit. The building started functioning as a mint between 1470 and 1475 and printed the first gold coins in the city after the Fall of Constantinople.
The building was damaged by fires and earthquakes over the years and rebuilt in 1707 by Gülnuş Sultan (1642-1715), the chief consort of Sultan Mehmed IV and the mother of Mustafa II and Ahmed III. She added a primary school, a fountain, and shops. She also changed the name to Simkeşhane, which is a place that spins thread. The architect was Mehmet Ağa.
After the mint moved to Topkapi Palace in 1727, the building was used as an inn. It burned down in 1826 and was promptly repaired, but it was partially abandoned in 1913 and completely abandoned in 1926.
The original façade of the building was removed in 1957 during expansion of the road between Beyazıt Square and Aksaray, cutting the building in half. It was restored and began to serve as the Istanbul Public Library (İstanbul Halk Kütüphanesi) after 1980.
Forum of Theodosius
What remains of the Forum of Theodosius (Φόρος Θεοδοσίου), one of the most important areas in Constantinople, sits in front of Simkeşhane.
The Forum of Theodosius was originally built by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great as the Forum Tauri (Forum of the Bull). In 393, the forum was renamed after Theodosius I, who rebuilt it and modeled it after Trajan’s Forum in Rome. It was surrounded by churches, civic buildings, and baths.
In the center was a triumphal column dedicated to Theodosius erected by his son, Arcadius, in 395. It was topped by a statue of Theodosius. The statue fell during an earthquake in 478, and a new statue of Anastasius I Dicorus was erected in 506. Byzantine Emperor Alexios V Doukas was sentenced to death and thrown from the column in 1204. The column stood standing until the late 15th century.
The only part of the Forum of Theodosius visible today is a collection of columns and fragments from a triumphal arch. It stood on the west side of the forum and was made of marble from Marmara Island.
The arch had a vaulted roof with three passageways, and was topped by statues of Theodosius and his sons, Arcadius and Honorius. The central arch and the statue of Arcadius fell during an earthquake in 558, while the rest of the arch was destroyed by another earthquake in 740. The Crying Column at the Basilica Cistern is most likely a column from the arch.
Seyyid Hasan Pasha Madrasa
Finally, across the street and heading west towards Laleli, is the Seyyid Hasan Pasha Madrasa (Seyyid Hasan Paşa Medresesi). It’s hidden behind the Bayezid II Hamam.
The madrasa was part of a complex built by Seyyid Hasan Pasha (1679-1748), a Grand Vizier under Sultan Mahmud I. The complex also included a primary school, fountain, and shops. It was built in the middle of the 18th century. Look for the birdhouses built into the structure.
