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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.
Introduction to Tophane
Tophane is named for Tophane-i Amire, the imperial Ottoman armory built in the mid-1400s under Mehmed the Conqueror. Two historic Ottoman mosques are also located in the area.
Tophane has changed dramatically since I lived in Istanbul. It was once a popular area for locals to hang out. 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 massive transformation.
The nargile places were demolished for the development of Galataport, a cruise ship terminal that opened in 2021. Tophane is now heavily visited by both locals and international crowds, but it has also lost its charm.
Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center
The Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center, operated by Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, is the namesake of the area. Tophane-i Amire was the imperial Ottoman armory built in the mid-1400s under Mehmed the Conqueror. The armory was built on the site of two churches from the Byzantine period, St. Claire and St. Photini. Its purpose was to manufacture cannonballs and cannons.
In the early 1900s, the armory became an education center and in 1958, it was briefly used as a military museum. The complex served a handful of other purposes until 1992, when it became property of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. The remaining three buildings are now used as the art museum. They consist of the Five Domes building (Beş Kubbe), Single Dome building (Tek Kubbe), and the Cisterns (Sarniclar).
Visiting the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center
Admission to the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center is free (as of August 2023). It’s open daily except Mondays. The museum is located outside the Tophane tram stop on the T1 tram line. It’s also a short walk downhill from Galatasaray Square on Istiklal Street.
Cisterns at Tophane-i Amire
After passing through security, the first section of the museum I visited was the Cisterns. At the time of my visit there was a photography exhibition.
Single Dome Gallery at Tophane-i Amire
Next, I visited the Single Dome gallery. At that time, it contained an exhibition by Huri Kiriş titled Terra. The artwork was hauntingly impressive.
Five Domes Gallery at Tophane-i Amire
The Five Domes building displays the museum’s permanent collection. There are paintings by several well-known artists on display throughout many different sections.
Works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919), Léon De Smet (1881-1966), Maxime Maufra (1861-1918), and others made up a wonderful collection. I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.
Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque
The Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque (Kılıç Ali Paşa Camii) is a beautiful example of Ottoman architecture. It was built by Kılıç Ali Pasha (1519-1587), who was originally an Italian farmer and sailor named Giovanni Dionigi Galeni. On April 29, 1536, he was captured by the Ottomans and forced into slavery. A few years later, he converted to Islam and began to rise through the ranks of the Ottoman Navy until he was named Grand Admiral (Kaptan-ı Derya) in 1571. Kılıç Ali Pasha is buried in a tomb next to the mosque.
The Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque was designed by Mimar Sinan (c. 1490-1588) and built between 1578 and 1580. The rest of the complex, which includes a hamam, madrasa, tomb, and fountain, was completed by 1587. The complex originally sat right on the shores of the Bosporus, but the land has since been reclaimed.
Courtyard of the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque
The courtyard of the mosque is narrow and contains an ablutions fountain. The mosque only has one minaret. There’s a detailed scale model of the entire mosque complex on display in the courtyard.
Prayer Hall of the Kılıç Ali Pasha Mosque
The porch contains the entrance to the impressive prayer hall. There are 247 windows including 24 in the central dome.
There’s a two-story gallery on each side, which gives the prayer hall a strong resemblance to Hagia Sophia. The central dome is 12.7 meters in diameter.
Kılıç Ali Pasha Hamam
The Kılıç Ali Pasha Hamam (Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı) was built by Mimar Sinan between 1578 and 1583 to serve the marine forces of the Ottoman Navy. It sat in a dilapidated state for many years but reopened to the public after a seven year restoration completed in 2015. Check the official website for hours, services, and prices.
Tophane Fountain
Across the street from the mosque is the Tophane Fountain (Tophane Çeşmesi), which was built in 1732 under Mahmud I. The architect was Kayserili Mehmed Ağa (d. 1742), who designed it in the Rococo style. The fountain has the same design on all four sides.
Tophane Pavilion
A few steps away 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 during the Sultan’s visits to the armory and to welcome foreign statesmen. Abdülmecid I met Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich (1827-1892), the brother of Russian Tsar Alexander II, at the pavilion. The international conference to end the Greco-Turkish War was held there in 1897.
Nusretiye Mosque
The Nusretiye Mosque (Nusretiye Camii) is a Baroque mosque next to the Tophane Pavilion. It stands on the site of a wooden mosque, the Coachmen’s Barracks Mosque (Arabacılar Kışlası Camisi), which was built at the end of the 17th century under Selim III.
The older mosque burned down on February 24, 1823, and Mahmud II commissioned the Nusretiye Mosque to replace it. It was designed by Ottoman Armenian architect Krikor Balyan (1764-1831) and built between 1823 and 1826.
The mosque is named for Mahmud II’s victory over the Janissaries, an elite infantry unit created during reign of Murad I in the mid-14th century. On June 16, 1826, up to 8,000 Janissaries were massacred, brutally ending the unit’s existence. At the time of completion, the Nusretiye Mosque sat on the corner of a military parade ground.
Entrance Portico of the Nusretiye Mosque
The mosque contains a double staircase leading up to the portico. The entrance to the prayer hall is at the top of the stairs. The inscription above the entrance was made by calligrapher Yesarizade Mustafa Izzet Efendi (d. 1849).
Prayer Hall of the Nusretiye Mosque
The lavishly decorated prayer hall is impressive. There’s one single dome resting on four angles. It’s 29 meters high and 15 meters in diameter.
To the right on the upper wall is the sultan’s loge, which is formed by a balcony. Above the women’s section is the upper gallery.
Courtyard of the Nusretiye Mosque
The courtyard of the Nusretiye Mosque is to the left of the entrance. It contains a domed ablutions fountain sitting on 10 columns as well as a clock room (muvakkithane) for keeping prayer times.
The clock room was originally located across the street along with a fountain. The fountain, built in 1901 by Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco (1857-1932) for Abdülhamid II, now sits in Maçka Park.
Istanbul Modern
Istanbul Modern, a contemporary art museum that opened on December 11, 2004, is located in Tophane within the Galataport development. 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. It finally opened in early 2023 and I visited shortly after.
Yazıcızade Han
Heading uphill behind the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center is the attractive Yazıcızade Han. It sits at the corner of Boğazkesen and Defterdar Streets, just behind the old armory buildings. 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
Where to Eat in Tophane
There aren’t many places to eat in Tophane other than the chains at Galataport. The choices are much better a few steps away in Karaköy.
Fasuli
One night after walking through Galataport I visited Fasuli, which has a few branches in Istanbul and specializes in kurufasulye (stewed white beans). I was not impressed by either the service or beans. Service wasn’t very friendly and it took forever just to get a menu. The beans were decent but I’ve had much better.
