Last updated on .
Galataport is a huge waterfront development along the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey. It takes up parts of the Karaköy and Tophane neighborhoods and includes the city’s cruise ship terminal.
Introduction to Galataport
Galataport covers 400,000 square meters (4,300,000 square feet) of space. It partially opened in 2021 and was fully open by 2022. It features over 250 shops and restaurants, museums, and other cultural and entertainment facilities. Visit the official website for more information.
Cruise Ship Terminal at Galataport
The cruise ship terminal covers 29,000 square meters along 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) of shoreline. There’s enough space for three large cruise ships to dock at the same time. Specially designed screens rise to ensure no passengers can leave without first passing through an underground customs and immigration area.
Seaside Promenade at Galataport
When there are no cruise ships, the screens are retracted and the space is open to the public as a seaside promenade. This allows for fantastic views of the Old City, including Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia.
Near the east end of the promenade is Port Square, an open space surrounded by benches. On display is Istanbul, The City of Names, a sculpture created by Ahmet Güneştekin in 2022. The sculpture consists of a collection of rings in rainbow colors displaying all the names Istanbul has been known as, including Constantinople, Byzantium, Islambol, and Nova Roma.
More spectacular views await at the end of the promenade, where you can look up the Bosporus. The Bosporus Bridge and Dolmabahçe Palace are easily visible.
Commercial Area at Galataport
Behind much of the northern half of the cruise terminal are several large modern buildings. They’re occupied by both Turkish and international brands, selling both common goods and luxury items.
Istanbul Modern
Galataport is home to Istanbul Modern, a contemporary art museum that opened on December 11, 2004. 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’s open daily except Mondays and admission for foreigners is 600₺ (as of June 2024). (Note: I finally had a chance to visit in 2023 and will update this post as soon as I have time.)
Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum
The Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum (İstanbul Resim ve Heykel Müzesi) is also located at Galataport. It displays a collection of Turkish works of art dating from the late 19th century through the end of the 20th century.
The museum was founded on July 18, 1937, and opened to the public by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) on September 20, 1937. The collection started with 320 works and now numbers over 12,000. It was originally located in the Apartments of the Crown Prince at Dolmabahçe Palace and moved to the Antrepo 5 building in Tophane in 2011. The current building was completed in 2021.
Visiting the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum
The Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum is open daily except Mondays and admission for foreigners is 300₺ (as of June 2024). Visitors will have to go through a security screening to enter.
Museum Collection
The collection of the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum is spread out over three floors. It consists of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, and calligraphy. It’s very nicely presented with information in both Turkish and English but with the amount of works can get overwhelming.
The collection pretty much runs in chronological order and thoroughly explains the history and evolution of Turkish art from the late 19th century to the present. There are some impressive works on display, including landscapes of Istanbul and Anatolia, historic scenes, portraits, scenes of daily life in Turkey, still lifes, abstracts, nudes, and copies of famous European paintings.
An entire gallery is dedicated to Osman Hamdi Bey (1842-1910), an accomplished painter and the founder of Istanbul’s first school of art. It includes a few of his best known paintings as well as artifacts related to his life. There’s also a gallery about the history of the museum.
Tophane Clock Tower
The Tophane Clock Tower sits in a square separating Istanbul Modern and the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum. It was built between 1848-1849 by Sultan Abdülmecid I and is associated with the Tophane Pavilion. The tower was originally a flag tower and was converted to a clock tower during reign of Abdülhamid II. The tughra (signature) of Abdülmecid I is above the door facing the sea.
Package Post Office
The striking Package Post Office (Paket Postanesi), on the southern end of Galataport, has a 180 meter façade along the seafront. It was designed by French engineer S. Saboureaux and built between 1907 and 1911.
The ground floor of the building was the first passenger terminal of the Karaköy Port, with the large domed hall serving first class passengers and the other lounges serving second and third class passengers. There was also a warehouse and customs area on the ground floor, while the upper floors held administrative offices.
In 1934, the building was converted to a naval hospital. In 1957, after customs and cargo operations ceased at Karaköy, the building became the Package Post Office. Today, it features 73 boutique shops as well as exhibition space.
Peninsula Hotel
The Peninsula Hotel opened a property at Galataport in February 2023. It occupies three historic buildings from the old Karaköy Port and opened a part of the waterfront to the public for the first time in several years. The historic buildings in the project are listed below with photos during the final construction phase.
Çinili Han
First is Çinili Han, which was built between 1910 and 1911. In its early years it held the offices of several maritime agencies. It was most recently used by the Istanbul Customs Directorate (İstanbul Gümrükler Başmüdürlüğü) as a customs house.
Karaköy Passenger Hall
Next is the Karaköy Passenger Hall (Karaköy Yolcu Salonu), which was originally built by Turkish architect Rebii Gorbon (1909-1993). It opened on July 1, 1940, and was in service for over 70 years. The original building was demolished in February 2017 and rebuilt from scratch as part of the Peninsula Hotel development. The clocktower above the building was designed by Mustafa Şem-i, the watchmaker of Sultan Abdülhamid II.
Merkez Han
Finally, at the far southern end of Galataport is Merkez Han, which was built between 1912 and 1914. The architect is unknown, but the building is regarded as one of the best representatives of the Art Nouveau style in the city. It served as the headquarters of Turkish Maritime Lines (Türkiye Denizcilik İşletmeleri) until 2013.
My Opinion on Galataport
Starting with the positives, the new building for Istanbul Modern, the restoration of historic buildings, and the opening of the shoreline to the public are the best things about Galataport. Otherwise, in my opinion, Galataport is a soulless development that is nothing more than a ploy to grab as much money from the wallets of visitors as possible. Other than the cultural attractions and its location on the Bosporus, there’s no difference between Galataport and an upscale shopping mall.
Furthermore, I lament the demolition of the Tophane nargile cafés, where I spent many wonderful evenings with friends while living in Istanbul. If there was one positive effect of the development, it’s the transformation of Karaköy from a seedy neighborhood to a lively area both locals and foreigners can enjoy.
Where to Eat at Galataport
While there are several restaurants to choose from at Galataport, only one has appealed to me. The majority are chains and I have no desire to visit them.
Baylan Pastanesi
The only place I can recommend is Baylan Pastanesi. This Istanbul classic started in 1923, when Filip Lenas moved to Istanbul from the mountains between Albania and Greece and opened the first branch in Nordstern Han at Karaköy Square.
The house specialty is the Kup Griye, which was invented in 1954 by Filip’s son, Harry Lenas. It’s vanilla ice cream topped with almonds and other nuts, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a lady finger. The Kup Griye is an Istanbul original and a true gem.
