DESTINATIONS ISTANBUL | TURKEY
Art of
reinvention n
ow this, I think to myself, is what you call a panorama. To my left, Asia appears beyond the Bosphorus strait, while the Sultanahmet
peninsula rises across the Golden Horn in a jumble of red-gold roofs below a skyline pierced with minarets. I’m on the 360-degree observation deck Galata Tower, built as a watchtower by the Genoese in 1348. Previously housing a cafe and restaurant, the iconic landmark reopened as a museum in 2020 and – alongside this winning vista, rivalled only by the new Çamlica Tower on Istanbul’s Asian side – now boasts several floors of exhibits on its fascinating history. My favourite story? That of 17th-century Ottoman aviator Hezârfen Ahmet Çelebi, who reportedly took flight from the tower with bird-like wings. I think I’ll stick to taking in the view. Istanbul has served as the capital of three mighty
empires, and nowadays visitors can stroll through this Turkish delight and encounter more than 1,600 years of history – from museums crammed with Roman remains to sprawling Ottoman palaces like Topkapi. The old city, with its lively bazaars and fine Byzantine mosques, dominates tourist itineraries, yet Istanbul is anything but stuck in the past. Galata Tower isn’t the only attraction to have had a makeover of late. The city has continued to reinvent itself, even during the pandemic, with a legion of revamps and launches.
travelweekly.co.uk
Revamped landmarks, new openings and a £1.3bn waterside development are putting Istanbul on the cultural map, discovers Vicky Smith
Also in the Beyoğlu district, now home to a new
Culture Route taking in venues that are important to the arts, is the Atatürk Cultural Centre. This striking rectangular building – complete with red spherical concert hall honouring ceramicist Sadi Diren – reopened in 2021 after a 13-year closure, and hosts everything from performing arts to exhibitions and workshops. Other arty attractions in Beyoğlu span SALT Galata, a culture complex in the Ottoman Empire’s former central
The city has continued to reinvent
itself, even during the pandemic, with a legion of revamps and launches
bank, to opulent Pera Museum, with its rich Orientalist collection – and there are many more besides. It isn’t all exhibition and performance venues, however; around the pedestrianised Istiklal Avenue you’ll find one of Istanbul’s most popular areas for shopping, dining and nightlife. It’s a sensory whirlwind: I sample bulgur-stuffed meatballs from a tiny köfte cart, hear accordionists play among the chattering crowds, catch the briny whiff of the fish market, drool over towering pyramids of baklava in patisserie windows
² 12 MAY 2022 39
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