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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.
Intro 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.
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.
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, as well as up the Bosporus.
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.
Baylan Pastanesi
One 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.
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 300₺ (as of June 2023).
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 . They were originally on display at the National Palaces Painting Museum, located in the Apartments of the Crown Prince at Dolmabahçe Palace. It’s open daily except Mondays and admission for foreigners is 160₺ (as of June 2023).
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 area serving first class passengers and the other lounge 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, it 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 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.
