Taksim Square

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Taksim Square

Considered the heart of modern Istanbul, Taksim Square (Taksim Meydani) is located in the European part of the city, in a major commercial, tourist and leisure district known for its restaurants, shops and hotels.

Due to the great importance of the square in the city, it is the favorite place for the celebration of public events and social celebrations, although it is also known as the starting point of different political manifestations that in many occasions ended in a violent way.
Taksim in the past

The name of the square, Taksim, means "distribution" in Turkish, and was given because it was the place in which the city's water distribution was centralized since 1732. Until the beginning of the 20th century the place made up the extreme North of the city but with the extension of it became the heart of the new Istanbul.

Taksim today

Taksim Square is an area full of bars, restaurants and some of the most luxurious hotels in the city. In the square the Monument to the Water Bearer and the Monument to the Republic are conserved.

From the square stands one of the main commercial arteries of the city, Istiklal Caddesi (Avenue of Independence), a pleasant pedestrian street that can be traversed using the nostalgic tram, which reaches the Funicular station Tünel.