Taksim Square

I don’t like crowds. And even though I really don’t want to go back to Taksim Square, I think it’s important to have seen it once. They say that Sultanahmet is the heart of Old Istanbul; Taksim is the heart of Modern Istanbul.

At night, there are so many young people club-hopping that you can hardly move. Our friends who live in Turkey say it’s like that almost every night, especially when the weather is nice. Shoulder to shoulder, it was almost as crowded as the French Quarter at Mardi Gras.

Looking at the shops that line the streets, you can scarcely believe that you’re not in a major American city: Swatch, Benetton, fast food… It’s very “Western.” If crowds bother you a lot, you can probably give this part of Istanbul a pass. Personally, I believe everything should be experienced, even if that experience isn’t always completely pleasant. At least then you know whether you want to go back!

You’ll probably end up there after walking along Istikklal, but there’s nothing there except for pricey restaurants (and McDonalds).

Taksim Square is located at the end of Istanbul’s “Cool Mile.” Between Tünel and Taksim Sq., you find the hippest people and trendiest shops. In the alleys left and right of Istiklal Caddesi, the street going from Tünel to Taksim Sq., there are a lot of bars and music clubs, with a musical spectrum ranging from Anatolian bards to Techno, Trance and Hip Hop.