Highlights
Passages of Istanbul
What a great pleasure it is to stop by an arcade while passing through a street or an avenue. Passages are places where you can feel like you are in a completely different world after you enter the door of the passage, and you can even go backwards in a time machine and imagine that you are breathing that air and shopping.
In a historic city likeIstanbul, such places that smell of history are back in vogue. As you know, people are now looking for different places besides the shopping malls that they can easily access everywhere. And arcades are the perfect place for this. They are not only good places for shopping, but also for photographing. There are many people who go even to share their photos on social media.
Most of the arcades in Istanbul are located in and around Taksim. In a neighborhood with a high historical texture, the rich variety of arcades enriches that location even more. Let's start our cars, fasten our seatbelts and take a closer look at the arcades of Istanbul.
Atlas Passage
Owned by Agop Köçeyan, a close friend of Sultan Abdulaziz and a palace sultan, the place was first built as a winter building and opened in 1877. In the 1930s, the place became an arcade used for entertainment and shopping. Used in the 19th century as a residence and in the 20th century as an entertainment venue, you can see Ottoman architecture in the arcade. Today, Atlas arcade welcomes its guests in Taksim as an arcade where cinema and theater halls, souvenirs and textile products are sold.
Address: Atlas Pasajı Istiklal Caddesi 131, Beyoglu
Bahariye Kafkas Passage
It's a true sahaf paradise. You can find whatever you are looking for here. Comic books, magazines, records, art, literature, anything related to the past, you may come across in Bahariye Kafkas Passage when you least expect it. The passage, which also houses the Moda cinema, is popularly known as the Moda Cinema Building. The atmosphere is so beautiful that you may want to buy everything there from the moment you enter. If only such a thing were possible!
Address: Bahariye Caddesi 37, Kadikoy
Aznavur Passage
The passage, whose structure was completed in the early 1900s, is one of the most preferred passages by people who love jewelry and accessories. Aznavur Passage, one of the busiest passages on Istiklal Street, also attracts the attention of the younger generation with its various retro products. There is also a tea garden on the upper floor of the passage, where trinket and bead enthusiasts are also regulars.
Address: Istiklal Caddesi 108, Beyoglu
Syria Passage
Syria Passage is also known as the passage of firsts. The first cinema in the country was established in this passage as "Santral Cinema". The first double elevator system in the country was also used in Syria Passage. You can visit some furrier shops and vintage stores in the passage that has defied the years. If you are curious about the fashion of the past, you can find many products from shoes to costumes in this passage.
Address: Istiklal Caddesi 348, Beyoglu
Aynali Passage
The arcade, located between Galatasaray and Balık Pazarı, was opened as a theater hall in 1861. After the building was burned to ashes in the great Beyoğlu fire of 1870, it was rebuilt as an arcade. The floor of the arcade is covered with marble and there are sculptures at some points. There are 22 shops in the arcade, which takes its name from the mirrors placed between the shops. The arcade, where jewelry stores and antique dealers are located, is one of the most visited places on Istiklal Street.
Address: Hüseyinağa, Meşrutiyet Cd. No:8, 34435 Beyoğlu/Istanbul
