null: Beyoglu

Beyoglu Turcaí

Beyoglu is a district on the European side of Istanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (the historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. In the Middle Ages it was known as Pera. According to the prevailing theory, the Turkish name for Pera, Beyoğlu, comes from a folk reinterpretation of the Venetian ambassadorial title Bailo, whose palazzo was the most imposing building in this quarter. The informal Turkish title Bey Oğlu (literally “son of a bey”) was first used by the Ottoman Turks to refer to Lodovico Gritti, the Istanbul‑born son of Andrea Gritti, who was the Venetian Bailo in Istanbul during the reign of Sultan Bayezid II (1481–1512) and was later elected Doge of Venice in 1523. Bey Oğlu therefore referred to Lodovico Gritti, who developed close ties with the Sublime Porte and whose mansion stood near today’s Taksim Square. Further south in Beyoğlu, the “Venetian Palace”, first built in the early 16th century, served as the seat of the Bailo. The original building was replaced in 1781 by the current structure, which later became the “Italian Embassy” after Italy’s unification in 1861, and the “Italian Consulate” in 1923, when Ankara became the capital of the Republic of Turkey. The district includes other neighbourhoods north of the Golden Horn, such as Galata (the medieval Genoese citadel from which Beyoğlu itself grew, now known as Karaköy), Tophane, Cihangir, Şişhane, Tepebaşı, Tarlabaşı, Dolapdere and Kasımpaşa. It is linked to the old city centre across the Golden Horn by the Galata Bridge, Atatürk Bridge and Golden Horn Metro Bridge. Today, Beyoglu is Istanbul’s liveliest area for art, entertainment and nightlife.

Recommended airport

Istanbul Airport (IST)

Nearby destinations

Beyoglu, Turcaí

Beyoglu Turcaí