Republic Monument at Taksim Square

I came to this part of the European side of Istanbul not really expecting to see too much. I knew that there is the Galata Tower but everything after that was unplanned. This includes the Istiklal Avenue which is a pedestrian shopping street. The avenue is a popular destination of the locals and you can tell even in this midday heat. I was also surprised to know how long the avenue stretches. It almost starts at the Galata Tower and ends at a large square named Taksim Square. This is where I found myself at the end of this walk.

The Taksim Square is a large square and it can be considered as the heart of modern Istanbul. It is a popular place as well since it marks the start of the commercial area of this area. There is the Republic Monument here to mark the birth of the Turkish Republic and the end of the Ottoman Empire. There are statues of figures who were prominent in the movement including Mustafa Kemal Atatürk who is considered the father of the modern Turkish republic. You can see various images of him all over the country including their money. The monument was completed in 1928 and it is at the center of the current Taksim Square.

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