Outside Cicek Pasaji Along Istiklal Avenue
I was very pleasantly surprised to run into the Istiklal Avenue which is a pedestrianized shopping street in Istanbul. You can forget that you are in Istanbul since this feels very much like any other place in Europe, sometimes even more so. The street is very well maintained and they even have a tram line which runs the length of the street. It is nice to just walk down here and admire the European style buildings. It would surprise you that some of these buildings date back to the time of the Ottoman Empire. At lot of it has been wonderfully preserved or restored. These days, it is all shops or restaurants here.
Inside the Cicek Pasaji Along Istiklal Avenue
I came across this beautiful structure which would look like it belongs in Paris. Even the name of the building is in French – Cité de Péra. These days it is called Çiçek Pasajı or Flower Passage. Inside is covered shopping arcade that you can find in Paris. Originally, it was a theater and even the sultan himself came to watch. Eventually, people started setting up flower shops here where it got its nickname – Flower Passage. After renovations, it is now home to several cafes and restaurants. It sure looks like a nice place to grab some food. Unfortunately, I already finished eating.
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