Description

Essentials about Taksim Square in brief

Many people know Taksim Square from the media. Throughout history, protests have taken place here, some of them violent, most recently in 2013 when mass demonstrations took place against the cutting down of trees in neighboring Gezi Park in favor of the construction of a shopping mall. The square’s primary importance, however, is as a transportation hub. Several of Istanbul’s major arterial roads begin/end at Taksim Square. In addition, the square is one of the central bus stations of the Turkish metropolis.

The location of Taksim Square

Taksim Square is a central square and transportation hub in the European part of Istanbul. Several busy roads lead from here in all directions, including Tarlabaşi Avenue to Fatih, Cumhuriyet Caddesi (Republic Road) to the northern district of Şişli, Inönü Caddesi toward Beşiktaş, and Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue) down to Tünel Square. The latter, by the way, is Istanbul’s main shopping street. If you don’t feel like making your way through the crowds on foot, you can hop on the historic streetcar at Taksim Square, which runs along Istiklal Caddesi.

The square is also the starting or stopping point for a number of bus lines. In addition, since 2006, the top station of the underground Kabataş-Taksim funicular railroad, which connects to the Bosphorus ferries and the streetcar running along the Bosphorus shore, has been located here.

The name “Taksim Square”

The name of the place few meters derives from the Arabic word “taqsīm” (“division”). Here ended a long-distance water pipeline built in the mid-18th century coming from the north, at the end of which was built a water distribution plant. The water was distributed to various water pipes, which carried it to the surrounding districts. A water reservoir on the western edge of the square, recognizable as a flat, long structure, still bears witness to the water distribution plant, at the southern end of which there is an octagonal building.

The sights on Taksim Square

In the center of the western half of the square is the Monument to the Republic, erected in 1928 to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Gezi Park, a city park with very old trees, adjoins the square to the north. Taksim Square is thus the last major square in downtown Istanbul that still has trees. There are also several major hotels around Taksim Square. At the eastern end of the square is the Atatürk Cultural Center, a multi-purpose event center with several stages that host opera and ballet performances, among others.

Website

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Opening hours

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Admission fees

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Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Metro line 2: Stop Taksim

Funicular line 1: Stop Taksim

Bus lines 25G, 32T, 35C, 36T, 37T, 38T, 40, 46E, 46H, 46T, 46Ç, 48T, 49T, 54E, 54HT, 55ET, 55T, 66, 69A, 70FE, 70FY, 70KY, 71AT, 71T, 72T, 72YT, 73, 73F, 74, 74A, 76D, 76E, 79T, 80T, 83O, 85T, 87, 89T, 92T, 93T, 97T, 129T, 145T, AVR2 and DT2: Stop Taksim

By car:

The nearest parking garage is the Taksim Parking Garage.