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Gümüşsuyu is a neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul. It’s located on the hill descending from Taksim Square to the Dolmabahçe neighborhood of the Beşiktaş district.
Introduction to Gümüşsuyu
The area contains a few consulates, a university, and lots of bus companies selling tickets to other parts of Turkey and beyond. There are also a few decent restaurants. All of the attractions are along Gümüşsuyu Street (officially İnönü Street). At the end of the street, you can walk down to Dolmabahçe, Beşiktaş Stadium, and the Bosporus through a small park.
Gümüşsuyu Park
Walking downhill from Taksim Square is Gümüşsuyu Park. It’s not much to write home about, but it does contain an interesting Chinese gate. The gate advertises the China Supermarket. There’s also a dilapidated wooden building at the back of the park.
German Consulate
Next, after the road curves, is the German Consulate (Almanya Başkonsolosluğu). Construction started in 1874 under German architect Hubert Goebbels (1835-1874). Goebbels died of typhoid on September 9 of the same year and was buried in Constantinople. Another German architect, Albert Kortüm, finished the project.
The building officially opened on December 1, 1877, as the embassy of the German Empire. In fact, it was the very first embassy building in the world built by the German Empire, which was formed in 1871. The embassy became a consulate in 1926 after the Turkish Republic moved the capital to Ankara. It was renovated between 1983 and 1989. The building also houses the Istanbul branch of the German Archaeological Institute.
Former Japanese Consulate
Further downhill on the right is the former Japanese Consulate. It’s a historic wooden building originally built in 1904 for the manager of the Ottoman Bank. It’s one of the few remaining wooden buildings in Beyoğlu and is protected as a historic site by the Turkish government.
The interior is beautifully decorated and there are a few photos on the official website. The building can be rented for events and cultural exchanges by contacting the Culture and Information Department of the Japanese Consulate.
Gümüşsuyu Palace
Next door is the Gümüşsuyu Palace (Gümüşsuyu Palas). This Art Nouveau apartment was built in the early 1900s by the Ottoman Armenian Azaryan family. It was known as the Azaryan Mansion (Azaryan Konağı) until 1939, when the family moved to France.
The building has six floors and contains sculptures of female heads on the fourth floor of the façade. It has been renovated over the years but the building has kept its appearance for the most part. The side facing the sea is plain.
Gümüşsuyu Military Hospital
Across the street is the former Gümüşsuyu Military Hospital (Gümüşsuyu Askeri Hastanesi). It was built by Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1849 to treat artillery soldiers. The building was converted into the Beyoğlu Eye Hospital (Beyoğlu Göz Hastanesi) in 2017. In late 2018, it became a branch of Şişli Etfal Hospital (Şişli Etfal Hastanesi).
Gümüşsuyu Barracks
Finally, next to the military hospital are the Gümüşsuyu Barracks (Gümüşsuyu Kışlası). Construction started in the 1850s and they were completed in 1862. The architect was Ottoman Armenian Sarkis Balyan (1835-1899) and they were commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz. The barracks were built on land that once occupied by the Ayaspaşa Cemetery. They’re two stories high except for the corner facing Dolmabahçe, which is four stories. In the center is a courtyard.
In 1920, the building was given to Istanbul Technical University (İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi) when their original building in Halıcıoğlu was occupied by the British. After the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the school permanently moved to the barracks. The building still serves as the Faculty of Machinery.
