Why to visit Istiklal Caddesi
The arcade tunnels inside the neoclassical structures that border sections of Istiklal are some of the road's most noteworthy features. içek Pasaj (Flower Passage) is the most famous, with little stores selling shawls, colourful ceramics, and lamps, as well as restaurants and cafés offering ambient eating amid late-19th-century architecture.
This lengthy, partly pedestrianised boulevard, which runs through the Beyolu area and up to Taksim Square, was for a long time Istanbul's dynamic modern centre. Most of the smaller and more unique shopping boutiques have been driven out in favour of foreign high-street brands and fast food restaurants, but it's still a fun spot to browse among the shoppers.
