Taksim Square, the landmark of northern Beyoğlu(), was the center of the more modern and upscale portion of 20th-century Istanbul.
It has fewer major sights than Sultanahmet in Old Istanbul south of the Golden Horn, but the upscale boutiques, fine restaurants and trendy cafés and bars of İstiklal Caddesi and Cumhuriyet Caddesi are only steps away, and Dolmabahçe Palace is a 15-minute stroll downhill on the shores of the Bosphorus.
The most prominent hotel right in the square:
The Marmara Taksim
This 5-star high-rise right in Taksim Square is always bustling, with good views on all sides, and a rooftop restaurant with perhaps the most spectacular views in all Istanbul. More…
Plenty of other hotels are within a few minutes’ walk of Taksim, as are a few laundries. Check these additional neighborhoods:
Talimhane
Just north of Taksim Square, this former training field for the Ottoman army is now a pleasant neighborhood with dozens of modern 4- and 5-star hotels catering to a variety of travelers. More…
Elmadağ
Just a bit farther north along Cumhuriyet Caddesi, Elmadağ has three big 5-star names: InterContinental, Grand Hyatt and Divan Istanbul, and several smaller but good ones. More…
Harbiye
Farther north along Cumhuriyet Caddesi, but still within walking distance of Taksim Square, the big name here isHilton— the first international-class hotel in the city, with perhaps the best setting of all. More…
Nişantaşı & Teşvikiye
Posh, upscale residential and lifestyle neighborhoods. Gone is the “melancholy” in evidence when novelist Orhan Pamuk grew up here. More…
Cihangir
Sometimes called “bohemian,” this neighborhood of upscale cafés, boutiques and antique shops draws expatriate foreigners as well. It’s just southeast of Taksim Square. More…
Galatasaray
Half-way south along İstiklal Caddesi toward Tünel Square,this was the heart of 19th-century Europeanized Pera. It’s now an arts-and-entertainment district. More…
—by Tom Brosnahan
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