Last updated on .
Tahtakale is a small neighborhood just south of Eminönü Square. It’s one of the oldest areas of Istanbul and a great place for an authentic local experience.
Introduction to Tahtakale
Tahtakale is a very active area for trade and commerce. It’s been this way since the Byzantine period and it continues to be an important shopping district today. As you start exploring the streets, especially the side streets you’ll find lots of stores geared towards locals. There are tailors, pharmacies, knife shops, hobby shops, kitchen supplies, party stores, candle shops, and much more.
Kuru Kahveci Han
At the corner near the Hasırcılar Gate of the Spice Bazaar is Kuru Kahveci Han. It was built by İhsan Kurukahveci in 1912 to continue his father’s coffee trading business. It has an inscription in both French and Ottoman Turkish above the entrance. Coffee roasters İhsan Kurukahvecioğlu Halefleri continue to operate out of the building to this day.
Kuru Kahveci Han has five floors and was built in a narrow rectangular shape. The unusual façade rounds the corner of the street and features beautiful ornamental stonework.
A narrow atrium sits just inside the entrance, which also contains an Art Nouveau staircase and tiled floors. In addition to the coffee roasters, it has hosted several different kinds of tenants throughout the years.
Sabuncu Han
Around the corner from Kuru Kahveci Han is Sabuncu Han. You might be tempted to check it out because the sign dates it between 1431 and 1446, but don’t let it fool you. The building was actually completed around 1890. The architect is unknown.
Sabuncu Han was built on an irregular plan and has two floors and two small courtyards. The courtyards have completely lost their original look. There’s really nothing to see, so don’t get sucked in by the sign like me.
Hasırcılar Street
One of the main roads through Tahtakale is Hasırcılar Street, which is the heart of the Straw Weavers Market (Hasırcılar Çarşısı). It runs northwest between the Spice Bazaar and the Rüstem Pasha Mosque. There are several different shops along the street containing not only household goods and supplies for locals, but plenty of things for tourists. You can find Turkish delight (lokum), nuts, sweets, jewelry, and more.
Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi
Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi, which sells some of the best Turkish coffee in Istanbul, is the most popular place along the street. It sits at the eastern end opposite the Hasırcılar Gate (Hasırcılar Kapısı) of the Spice Bazaar. Although they can buy packaged coffee from Mehmet Efendi in just about any supermarket in Istanbul, locals head there to purchase freshly ground coffee. The amount of coffee with the corresponding price is listed clearly on the window. Just tell the attendant how much coffee you want and have your money ready. If there’s a long queue, don’t worry, it moves quickly.
Yeni Han
Yeni Han is a historic caravanserai near the east end of Hasırcılar Street. It was the first place in the city where coffee was processed, stored, roasted, ground, and traded.
Yeni Han was built in the early 17th century by the Kazasker Abdülkadir Efendi Foundation. It used to have two floors but the upper floor was destroyed by fire. Yeni Han was previously known as Emin Han, Tahmis Han, and Hasırcılar Han.
The building fell into disrepair in the early 20th century. It was restored between 2016 and 2019 by Beta Gıda, a Turkish tea company, and reopened in March 2019 as Beta Yeni Han. It now features a covered café with several shops. Before and after pictures of the restoration line the walls of the entrance.
Rüstem Pasha Mosque
The Rüstem Pasha Mosque (Rüstem Paşa Camii) is at the end of Hasırcılar Street before it becomes Kutucular Street. This hidden gem is often overlooked by more famous mosques in Istanbul.
The Rüstem Pasha Mosque was built for Rüstem Pasha (c. 1505 – 1561), who served twice as Grand Vizier under Süleyman the Magnificent and married his daughter, Mihrimah Sultan (1522-1578). It was designed by Mimar Sinan (c. 1490 – 1588) and constructed between 1561 and 1563.
The mosque was built on a terrace above a complex of shops in the Straw Weavers Market. Rents from the shops were intended to contribute to its financial support and maintenance.
A narrow set of stairs leads to the courtyard, which features a double porch with five domes above the inner section. This is the first opportunity to see the rich decorations of Iznik tiles for which the mosque is famous.
The mosque is decorated with about 2,300 tiles arranged in roughly 80 different patterns, sometimes grouped together haphazardly. In fact, there’s no other mosque in Istanbul with such elaborate use of Iznik tiles.
The prayer hall is stunning. It’s adorned with Iznik tiles on all the walls and mihrab. The qibla wall contains mostly tiles with different shades of blue. The prayer hall is topped by a dome resting on four semi-domes.
Tahtakale Hamam
Across the street from the mosque is the Tahtakale Hamam (Tahtakale Hamamı). It was built sometime between 1454 and 1471 during the reign of Mehmed II and is one of the oldest surviving baths in the city. The hamam had separate sections for men and women as well as four private rooms off the men’s section for VIP guests. It likely served as a bath until the early 20th century until it was converted to a deep freeze storage and cheese warehouse.
The hamam was restored between 1988 and 1992 to become the Tahtakale Hamam Market (Tahtakale Hamamı Çarşısı). The space under the largest dome was once the men’s changing room. The dome measures roughly 17 meters (56 feet) in diameter. A fountain was added to pay homage to its former function. An Ottoman-style monumental entrance was also added to the men’s section as the original entrance has been lost.
Balkapanı Han
On Balkapanı Street, one of the most important buildings in Tahtakale is Balkapanı Han. It’s one of the biggest Ottoman hans in Istanbul and probably the only one that incorporated Byzantine building techniques.
Balkapanı Han was built in the 16th century although it’s possible some elements may date back to the 6th century. It consists of 80 rooms covered with domes. It was used to store merchandise coming by sea including coffee, sugar, cotton, honey, flower, and oil. There’s a small mosque in the large courtyard.
The building was devastated by a fire in 1688 and again in 1807. It was rebuilt after both fires. Underneath is a Byzantine cellar. Rumor has it that it contains a tunnel leading to Hagia Sophia.
Elhaç Timurtaş Mosque
Also in Tahtakale is the Elhaç Timurtaş Mosque (Elhaç Timurtaş Camii). It was built sometime between 1460 and 1470 by Timurtaş Ağa, a local tradesman. The architect was Mahsenci Hacı Ahmet Ağa.
The mosque was closed to worship from 1938 to 1964. It was then renovated by tradesmen and reopened. It’s mostly used by local shopkeepers and is closed on Sundays. The mosque sits on the west end of the neighborhood.
