Taksim Square

Due to the importance of the square in the city, it's the favourite place to celebrate public events and social celebrations, although it's also known as the departure point for different political demonstrations.

Taksim in the past

The name of the square, Taksim, means distribution in Turkish, and it was given to this part of the city as the place where the distribution of water in the city took place since 1732. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the square was in the extreme north of the city, but as Istanbul grew, it became the heart of the new town.

Taksim Today

Taksim Square is full of bars, restaurants and some of the most luxurious hotels in the city. The plaza still has two monuments: The Monument to the Water Carrier and the Republic Monument.

From this square comes one of the main commercial streets in the city: Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue), a pleasant pedestrian street which you can tour on the vintage tram, which takes you all the way to the Tünel funicular.