Beyoğlu was once the lifeblood of Istanbul, even as it gradually lost some of its vibrant colors day by day. Some people came and went, while others became regulars. Yet, it remained etched in everyone’s memory like a nail. Today, Beyoğlu embodies the social, political, and economic transformations that Turkish society is undergoing. It is rapidly losing its identity, values, and cultural and artistic connections and is on the verge of disappearing. However, recently, Pandora’s Box has been opened again in Beyoğlu. We evaluated the history, transformation, and future of Beyoğlu with those who write, think, speak, and create about this iconic district.
Is it possible to reclaim Beyoğlu? The district has been under the rule of the conservative party for nearly 20 years. The area has undergone constant changes, with its population evolving and its identity rapidly fading. We posed the question “Will Beyoğlu be able to return to its former glory?” to journalists, academics, artists, and writers following the local elections on March 31st, sparking curiosity among many.
Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Journalist
Whether you call it Constantinopolis, Istanbul, or the city of Mehmed the Conqueror, this city has existed for much longer than we have and will continue to exist after us.
It’s disheartening to see that Beyoğlu has lost its connection to art and culture. Everywhere you look, there are now only baklava shops, hookah shops, or kebab shops. Beyoğlu has become completely engulfed by a particular type of tourist culture. I grew up in the old Beyoğlu, during a different era when there were non-Muslim minorities. Those were stylish people, true Istanbul locals. This is where the story begins; they said it was September 6-7, they said it was the Cyprus operation, and these people disappeared. Remember the following passage:
“They were the true souls of Beyoğlu, and now they are gone. Those who remain are very few. In my neighborhood, Cihangir, I have only one Greek neighbor. When human beings are minorities in a place, their culture becomes a minority as well. Today, we are looking for a cinema or a theater in Beyoğlu. In the past, we used to get angry with the theater actor Ferhan Şensoy because he was not modern and was doing silly, nonsensical stuff. Now, people better appreciate Ferhan Şensoy. Beyoğlu has been transformed in the last 15 years. It’s like this place is no longer Istanbul! Consider this – you were the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire, a source of pride. How can you go from being the capital of Eastern Rome to a random city in Kuwait? That is what makes this picture so sad…”
“I believe that people should be free to live their lives as they choose, but I draw the line when it comes to people interfering with me and my city. Whether you call it Constantinopolis, Istanbul, or the city of Mehmed the Conqueror, this city has existed for much longer than we have and will continue to exist after us. Beyoglu is the heart of this city; it’s Istanbul’s heart. Disturbing the heart of something, whether it’s a person, a city, or a country, doesn’t bring any good to anyone. Our hope now is that the Mayor of Beyoglu, İnan Güney, will keep his promises. We are waiting for him to say ‘let’s make Beyoğlu what it used to be!’ Do we have a lot of trust? No, we don’t! But we still want to believe in him. We expect him to keep some of the promises he made.”
Residents of Beyoğlu should understand its history before longing for the old Beyoğlu. We have caused damage to Beyoğlu and now we must confront the consequences. We need to question why certain places existed in the past but no longer do. In London, if you tried to drive a nail into Piccadilly Circus, there would be a major uproar over who is accountable. Sadly, we lost the Emek Cinema to greedy individuals. We have failed to protect what remains of our ancestors, let alone Constantinople.
Yahşi Baraz, Art Gallerist/Publisher
“The art and cultural spaces in Beyoğlu have been disrupted.”
“In the 1950s, when we thought about social life in Istanbul, Beyoğlu was the only place that came to mind. This area had restaurants and cinemas, and cinema was very popular at that time. We watched great American and French films, but there was no art of painting, no galleries, and no interest in painting. However, in the 1960s, small movements began. The City Gallery (Şehir Galerisi) was opened in Beyoğlu, which was a makeshift gallery on the right side of the road on the way to Galatasaray.. But it was very important for us. Then the Goethe-Institut Istanbul was opened. It was managed by a German intellectual named Robert Anhegger. In the 1960s, exhibitions of Ömer Uluç and Yüksel Arslan were also held there. I used to follow these events along with artists like Salih Acar and Erdoğan Değer, who are not well-remembered today. During that time, the world of culture and art mainly revolved around the academy and its professors, but it was also quite introverted. Bedri Rahmi once said something that has stuck with me: “Art in Türkiye has not been able to move from Beyoğlu to Kadıköy,” and indeed, this proved to be true. In the subsequent years, the Taksim Art Gallery was established by the municipality. In 1974, shortly before his death, Bedri Rahmi Eyüboğlu’s abstract paintings, which he had created in the USA, were exhibited here. When the exhibition opened, we were all very excited. We anticipated that all the paintings in the exhibition would be sold, but unfortunately nothing was sold. In short, the city did not have a very active culture and art scene. It’s also important to remember the antique shops that were present in Beyoğlu Kuledibi in the 1970s. These shops were frequented by collectors and art lovers, and they hold a significant place in the city’s artistic memory.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Beyoğlu was a vibrant center of arts and entertainment where various ethnic groups such as Greeks, Armenians, Jews, Italians, French, and White Russians lived. They shaped the cultural and art scene in Beyoğlu. However, the wealth tax in 1942 caused many of these minorities to leave the country, and the events of September 6-7, 1955 further accelerated this process. These disruptions affected not only Beyoğlu but the entire country. Following these events, more people from the countryside settled in Beyoğlu, and the art and culture scene was disrupted. Unfortunately, art has never been fully appreciated in our society, and as a result, Beyoğlu was never able to fully establish itself as an art center. While there were brief periods of progress, it never reached the same level again. Considering the migrations, it would have been challenging to maintain the same cultural standards.
“In Beyoğlu, new art galleries were opened in Asmalımescit, Tünel and Mısır Apartment along with bookstores. Yapı Kredi made some contributions and opened exhibition halls. Borusan Art Gallery was opened in 1997, closed later. Burhan Doğançay Museum was established in the early 2000s. The Pera Museum was opened. The İş Bank Museum, the contemporary art space funded by the Vehbi Koç Foundation in Meymaret Han on Istiklal Street; all these were very positive results for Beyoğlu. However, on one side of the society, a cultural leap was taking place; on the other side, these things mean nothing to a significant part of the society. Unfortunately, there is a constant conflict between opposite fractions and the lumpen ones outweigh the others. In Türkiye today, an arabesque music album can sell millions of copies, while the most famous abstract painting is hardly being sold.”
“I believe the most crucial factor for the improvement of any city or neighborhood is the quality of its people. Without an improvement in the human aspect of the region, neither Beyoğlu nor Istanbul can progress. This improvement can only come through an increase in our level of education. If culture, literature, poetry, painting, and sculpture start to pique the interest of the residents, then perhaps a change can occur. However, I don’t believe that governments can do much at this point, as unfortunately, our governments have historically thrived on ignorance. Of course, public demand is also important. Literature is flourishing in Europe and Russia due to a specific public demand. In England, museums have a long history. These museums were established in response to public demand, and long queues can still be seen in front of them. Regrettably, our society does not yet harbor such a desire.”
“My personal opinion is that Beyoğlu doesn’t qualify as a cultural center. Therefore, perceiving Beyoğlu as the only option doesn’t make sense. While there is a group of people in Beyoğlu contributing to the development of art and culture, I criticize the lack of better and planned spaces for Türkiye’s current art scene. Beyoğlu is no longer suitable to handle such a formation. I believe Istanbul needs dedicated spaces for art, similar to those found around the world. The back streets of Beyoğlu still face serious issues with drug problems and prostitution, and Istiklal Street also shows signs of deterioration. It is challenging to create and view art in such an environment. A comparable example is Chelsea in New York, where similar problems were addressed before it evolved into an art center. Unfortunately, we have not been able to do the same for Beyoğlu. Even if we could, the question remains about what to do with all the people currently there. Perhaps a suitable environment could have been created in Dolapdere, but it’s now too late for that as well. Beyoğlu has transformed into a place where big money circulates, and the art in Türkiye is unable to compete with this capital influx.”
Ayşe Çavdar, Journalist / Academic
“The Shadow Over Beyoglu is Lifted”
“Beyoğlu, as far as I can remember, say 30-40 years ago, was a place that the middle class didn’t prefer to live in because it was considered unsafe and lacked sufficient infrastructure. However, Beyoğlu was a preferred area for artists and intellectuals due to its relatively lower cost of living. Since they earned less money, they could afford to live in Beyoğlu and were drawn to the area by the presence of like-minded individuals. Together, they created a new lifestyle and a sense of elegance. As a result, younger generations of the middle class wanted to be part of this lifestyle, causing Beyoğlu to become crowded. This influx of people attracted investors, a process known as gentrification.
As a result of gentrification, artists and intellectuals were priced out of Beyoğlu, making it less appealing to the middle class as well. They then sought out new areas where new trends were emerging. Throughout this process, municipalities and central administrations tried to benefit from the rising property values. In short, this process has multiple stages and has rapidly taken place in Beyoğlu over the last 20 years. Now, we are observing that this process has suddenly reached a destructive stage in Beyoğlu.”
“Beyoğlu has suddenly become a place of commercial exchange rather than cultural exchange. Neither the local nor central administration were aware of the value of cultural exchange in Beyoğlu. They not only lacked awareness of it but also saw the atmosphere of Beyoğlu as a threat to their own political agenda. This became more evident during the Gezi events. Beyoğlu was commercialized and silenced because the cultural atmosphere in Beyoğlu also served as a place for political communication and exchange. People from all segments of society used to come there to make their voices heard or to listen to others. They could discuss their political issues with each other. This created a sense of familiarity and dynamism in Beyoğlu. This was part of Beyoğlu’s identity. They eradicated this and Beyoğlu quickly transformed into a place solely for commerce. However, there is something called the memory of the city, which always prevails. Ultimately, it comes back and always triumphs, making it difficult to intervene in the memory of a city space. Just as it is impossible to turn Başakşehir into a place of cultural exchange, it is equally impossible to make Beyoğlu purely commercial.”
“Beyoğlu has a rich history and holds a significant place in the collective memory of humanity. It has been depicted in books, novels, and films. This historical significance will inevitably resurface, and the spirit of Beyoğlu will return. However, it’s important to note that it won’t be the same as it was before, nor should it be. Beyoğlu has the potential to rebuild itself and reconnect with its own history in a relatively short period. While it was under the control of conservative municipalities for 25 years, its social, cultural, and spatial heritage remained strong, demonstrating its resilience. The genuine connection of its memory with the region and social fabric has called for its restoration. This is how I interpret the recent election results in relation to Beyoğlu. In fact, Beyoğlu could have secured victory in the 2014 elections. I believe that with the right candidate selection, Beyoğlu’s destiny could have changed at that time, potentially preventing the decade-long deterioration that followed.”
“The demolition of Tarlabaşı was not a spontaneous process. Despite objections, the area was demolished and remains unreconstructed. The warnings of social and urban opposition about the catastrophic consequences of this demolition have unfortunately come true. The original buildings were destroyed and replaced with huge structures, amounting to a kind of massacre in Tarlabaşı. Such massive intervention will likely lead to significant problems within five to ten years.”
“Cities and urban spaces have their own way of seeking revenge. This is currently happening in Beyoğlu. No one needs to seek this revenge themselves. The space itself points out the guilty parties and never lets them off the hook. It’s similar to what happened to Bedrettin Dalan. Therefore, in Beyoğlu, I believe it’s just as important for the CHP to win as it is to punish the 25-year-long conservative local administration by not voting for them. This is a sign that the consequences of the urban space’s revenge have begun.”
Conservative local government has been defeated, lifting the shadow over Beyoğlu. We can’t help but reminisce about what it used to be and what it is now. We will cherish the old habits but also strive to create new ones in Beyoğlu. Those who had stopped visiting Beyoğlu will now say, “Let’s go and see what has changed,” as they search for traces of the past and create new ones. The existing order in the area will be disrupted, and the process of accountability will begin. We will witness the downfall of those responsible for the heavy destruction in Beyoğlu, and they will face the consequences of their actions. This will lead to a process of confrontation. For instance, the Taksim Mosque at the entrance of Istiklal Street, seen as a victory by the political power, will serve as a reminder not of that era’s victory, but of how it ultimately ended in defeat.”
Yaşar Adnan Adanalı, Urbanist / Academic / Director of Center for Spatial Justice
I don’t look at Beyoğlu from a nostalgic point of view. Instead, I want to confront the past and look at the present and future through this confrontation.
The urban culture is constantly changing and evolving. However, this transformation is not always natural, as external, often government-led interventions can influence it. For instance, the decline of the non-Muslim population in Beyoğlu during the latter half of the 20th century and the subsequent transformation of Beyoğlu’s culture was a result of organized actions such as the 6-7 September Pogrom. Additionally, the changes in Tarlabaşı, known for welcoming the poor, marginalized, and immigrants, were not a spontaneous gentrification process, but were made possible by urban renewal laws and large-scale construction projects. Similarly, the shift of Beyoğlu from a center of cultural production to a center of consumption has been facilitated by mega projects such as the new AKM, Grand Pera Mall, Galataport, and Haliç Port.
“On one hand, diverse, open, and rebellious public spaces like Istiklal Street in Beyoğlu become more uniform when left to the control of capital. On the other hand, they face the risk of being suppressed by oppressive policies when under the control of those in power. In Beyoğlu, resilience has always supported artisans and cultural life, with social and political movements historically exercising their freedom of expression and demonstration in areas like Taksim, Galatasaray, and Tünel Square, before becoming integral to the city’s cultural and social life. These public spaces not only influenced the civil and political agenda of Istanbul but also served as spaces for democracy. However, for almost 10 years, all these spaces have been restricted, reflecting the country’s diminishing level of democracy. The businesses, restaurants, bookstores, entertainment venues, culture and art spaces, cinemas, and theaters that have defined Beyoğlu have gradually declined under the influence of capital. The true value of these places cannot simply be measured in financial terms. Therefore, in order to ensure their survival, we should not leave them solely at the mercy of the market.”
“I don’t look at Beyoğlu from a nostalgic point of view. Instead, I want to confront the past and look at the present and future through this confrontation. I know that the good old days also had their not-so-good sides. I live in Beyoğlu, work there, and some of my productions are based on Beyoğlu. In other words, I am fighting for the Beyoğlu I want to live in. There are many people around me who are also involved in this fight. Therefore, this ‘back to the future’ story is not a passive process for us. We are all the subjects of this.”
“Being in space, understanding it, observing it, and noticing transformations is about taking action. Voicing what is wrong and fighting for what I want to happen are the ways that make me feel alive. But sometimes this vitality also competes with the feeling of loss. Recently, many generic perfumeries, dessert shops, Maraş ice cream shops, jewelry stores, exchange offices, and hookah shops have opened along İstiklal. I don’t think that these places are ‘the places that make Beyoğlu Beyoğlu’ or that they add value to Beyoğlu culture. In fact, most of them are opening in the locations of the venues I already go to and love. This is where the feeling of loss comes from. I continue to remember, confront, and fight to keep the feeling of loss at a distance.”
“I am an expert in urban planning. I have spent years researching, developing projects, and constructing spaces for more equal, habitable, and ecological cities. When I think of a ‘city’, one of the first places that comes to my mind is Beyoğlu. It’s a place with a distinct identity, multicultural, and socioeconomically diverse, with an impressive urban fabric and beautiful buildings. It’s walkable, mixed-use, dense but not suffocating, and has a strong public sphere. The bustling Istiklal Street attracts millions of people every day, while the narrow streets offer unique opportunities to be alone and explore different characters. What makes Beyoğlu’s culture valuable is the fusion of urban fabric and urban culture with cultural production. Beyoğlu is essentially a hub of cultural production and a vibrant living place. This cultural production infrastructure is more valuable than the institutional culture, art centers, and museums that have targeted ‘culture consumers’ in recent years. Publishing houses, magazine offices, association centers, dance studios, recording studios, artist studios, theaters, artisans, and the neighborhoods where the people involved in these areas live, used to constantly contribute to the production and reproduction of culture. It’s important to emphasize and preserve this aspect.”
Gaye Boralıoğlu, Writer / Journalist
Beyoğlu has never been one thing; it has only been described by some as they want to see it, as they remember it.
“I have lived in Beyoğlu for almost forty years. In my memories, there is not one but a thousand Beyoğlu. Everyone talks about the “old” Beyoğlu, but there are actually many versions of old Beyoğlu. Beyoğlu is a very changing place. It is as changeable as Türkiye. I live in Tünel, and when I first moved here, it was completely pitch black from Galatasaray down. There were no streetlights. The side streets were full of pavilions and beer houses. If I went there after 9 p.m., I would be recognized. I even encountered a phrase like this: “You’re out on the street at this hour talking to us!” This went on for years. Only at the end of the 90s things started to get better. Nice cafes, music halls, rock bars, etc. were opened. Then, in the last half of the 2010s, it began to darken again. This time, it was deliberate destruction. The government chased away the people who had fun, the musicians, the artists, the homosexuals, all the joy, and replaced them with temporary tourists from the Arabian Peninsula. But we did not disappear, we live in the alleys.”
Beyoğlu has never been one thing; it has only been described by some as they want to see it, as they remember it. Beyoğlu’s true spirit is a vagabond. It is complex, it is strange, it hides and hides, and then suddenly reveals itself. It plays with time like a child. One shop opens and another closes; you pass by a thousand times, you don’t know what was where. Sadness, anger, joy, love oscillate from one pan to another. I have never seen anything like it on earth. When you compare, you always find something missing elsewhere, but there is always something more in Beyoğlu. “I wonder when this era will pass, and where it will evolve in Beyoğlu. Of course, I also feel very sad. Almost none of my favorite places are there, places that are a very important element of urban memory are unfortunately not permanent in Beyoğlu. The buildings are still standing, but the things inside are changing and will change again…”
“When we think of Beyoğlu, do we only have to consider Istiklal Street? We haven’t forgotten about Cihangir, Galata, or Asmalı either. We are still here, and as writers, we have been gathering monthly at a tavern in Asmalı Mescit for quite some time. However, in the past, they used to come together more frequently and in closer-knit groups, while we are more casual and routine. Perhaps the next generation will meet on Zoom. This is the spirit of the times! The significant change has occurred more in terms of filmmakers than literary figures. Previously, all production companies were in Beyoğlu, but now they are in Levent, Maslak, and so on. In the past, cinema was one of the city’s main activities, but now there are no proper cinemas left in Beyoğlu. By the way, I’d like to once again express my disapproval for those who demolished Emek Cinema.”
“We are governed by an administration that is hostile to culture and the arts. They are deeply opposed to a form of expression they will never be able to attain. On the other hand, Beyoğlu undergoes frequent and drastic changes. It rapidly transformed after the Pogrom of September 6-7. The migration in the 70s also brought about significant change, and the positive developments in the 90s were also swift. Our neighborhood (Galata) became a different place in just five or six years. Then came the bombings in the early 2000s, followed by the ban on outdoor seating and various crackdowns on establishments serving alcohol… Always rapid, always harsh, always filled with struggle.”
Yekhan Pınarlıgil, Art Historian / Researcher / Independent Curator
“War Has Been Declared to the Freedom in Beyoğlu”
“I was a boarding student at Galatasaray High School in Beyoğlu. I grew up in the art, culture, and entertainment life of Beyoğlu until the late 80s and mid-90s. Those were the years when the pressure of the military coup slowly started to ease on society. It was also a period when Beyoğlu began to flourish again. Western-style cafes were starting to open, various bars were opening, and every month, you would come across something new. Places where we could experience the ‘gastronomy of Western culture’ were opening, including Zencefil, a vegetarian restaurant. This was a great thing for Istanbul at that time.”. Cafes and restaurants were followed by bars, discotheques, etc. Both the day and night life of the neighborhood was being reconstructed. Rock bars were very popular. Jitan, Haydar, Kemancı, Hayal Kahvesi are the first ones I can think of now… Later on, these diversified even more, gay bars opened: Valentino, Yeşil, 14 were the first ones. For example, 14 in Talimhane was very interesting. The Talimhane area was the opposite of what it is today. It was a very dark area, lit by very weak, yellow, flickering street lamps, where one could almost feel the ghosts of the minorities who had left Beyoğlu. It was a place with heavy metal doors, techno music playing, a huge bar in the middle, like the ones you would find in Berlin. When that place succeeded, 19 and 20 were opened. DJs from Europe, shows, famous names and all that, it was a glamorous atmosphere. They also had their own interesting rules. For example, you couldn’t wear a suit. I witnessed it many times; while a very famous person in a suit was not allowed in, a queer person person could walk past and enter. It was a mixed environment. It was a very free environment where no one bothered anyone else and there was freedom.
Beyoğlu is one of the most westernized scenes in the country. I think this disturbed the ruling ideology. Consequently, there was a serious battle with the free environment and life. In the 80s and 90s, there was discomfort with the environment where all these freedoms were experienced. During that time, the streets of Beyoğlu were very dark, and a perception was created through the media with the discourse of ‘Beyoğlu is very dangerous.’ Later, when they took political control of Beyoğlu, these discourses were replaced with stories such as ‘no bars next to mosques,’ ‘no beer drinking next to schools,’ ‘you are making noise, and people upstairs are disturbed,’ and so on. In other words, hostility towards the night and cultural life in Beyoğlu created tension and a desire to make it invisible. To this tension, we can add the transformation of AKM, the resistance in Gezi, the Cercle d’Orient building that Demirören supposedly restored, and the Emek Cinema. Many places have been closed and destroyed due to this conflict. This ideology is uncomfortable with the freedoms of all individuals.
The battle also rapidly transformed Beyoğlu. Today, it has become an ordinary environment that primarily caters to tourists. People who visit Beyoğlu no longer have any expectations of it being like it was in the 80s and 90s. This has led to the emergence of hookah lounges, dessert shops, kebab restaurants, and shopping areas, all of which can be found in many other places. It seems to me that the current situation in Beyoğlu required a lot of effort, whether planned or not. The mosque constructed on İstiklal seems to symbolize this transformation.
“I think if I had grown up and spent my youth anywhere else in Türkiye, there is no way I would have approached art the way I do today. Beyoğlu was rich in art and the only place in Türkiye where you could have a dialogue with art. It was a place where you saw different lifestyles. I believe that art opens up a naive living space for us. I always say this. I feel like art is the only mechanism that can expand the patterns we are in. Art seems to me to be the only strategy to get rid of all these controls, normalizations and uniformization. Whether Beyoğlu was such a free space because of art or vice versa, whether art brought freedom to Beyoğlu, I can’t answer these questions very clearly, but they were all very intertwined with each other.”
“They tried very hard to erase the memory of Beyoğlu, but they failed. Today, the memory of those who still live there and the memories of what has been lived there suddenly appears in front of you. It is impossible to ignore it, not to feel it but we are coming to the last point of the time that started with their departure. The ties with memory and history are gradually diminishing in Beyoğlu. Unfortunately, people who come to Beyoğlu today are not interested in the city’s past but there is such a potential in Beyoğlu that many people believe and trust in it. Unfortunately, there is no way to bring back the loss here but one should not feel too hopeless. I think that the era is not over in Beyoğlu. Perhaps Beyoğlu will flourish again.”
