Starting from Taksim square, it is going to be a long walk from here to the shore of the golden Horn and the first part of our itinery will be along istiklal street, maybe not the oldest boulevard in istanbul but certainly the livilest, and from there we will continue to explore the byways and antiquities of the city.

Pera is the hub of the modern city. The word "pera" in Greek means "the other side" or just simply "the other". The district was once a part of Byzantium but gained much of its fame in historical times as an important Genoese colony. It was in this district that the Ottomans allowed the non-Muslims to settle and to which some of the Latin-Catholic churches were moved from the historical peninsula. As the relations with western powers improved, more land was given to the foreigners for their settlement. Consequently, most of the foreign powers had their embassies here. So, you will see fewer mosques but more churches, hans and shopping arcades in the district. Though constantly looking up at the buildings may be rather tiring, you should at least examine the facades, istiklal Street is also one of the most important entertainment centres where most of the cinemas, theatres and night -clubs are located. The cafes, bars and restaurants, both in the side streets and on the main street itself are very good and highly recommended. Since the itinerary will end up here at Taksim, you should take a good look around the square and note the Atatürk Cultural Centre, the Marmara Hotel and the monument in the centre.
To get to Istiklal Caddesi, the most famous street in the district, you should simply follow the tramline in front of the Monument of the Republic created by the Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica. But you can also get there by just following the crowd. The square takes its name from" taksim" or "division", as the water distribution centre for the Galata and Beyoğlu districts is located here.

The first thing we will visit is Aya Triada (The Greek Orthodox Church of Haghia Triada). After passing the French Consulate at the beginning of istiklal Caddesi turn into Meşelik street to the left and you are there. Built in 1S82; it is one of the first churches allowed to have a dome (as you probably know it was forbidden for non-Muslim buildups after the Conquest to possess a dome). The architect of this Greek church was Kampanaki, but its style is in complete contrast to the tradi-tional style of Creek churches. Originally built by the Russian community it was later handed over to the Greeks and is now recognised as the most important Orthodox church in Pera. Its facade is characterised by an eclectic but very elegant style. The building is completed by two vast bell towers. The successful restoration allows you to see the icons inside,, some of which are thought to date from the Byzantine period. From here you should go back to Istiklal Caddesi and take Zambak street to the left of the French Consulate where you will see the Armenian church. The Vosgeperan Church, dedicated to St. Johannes Hrisostomos, is one of the most popular churches for the Catholic Armenian community but not so well known to the other communities.
 
Further down istiklal Caddesi, right after İmam Adnan street on the right, you will see an elegant building with the inscription "Agora Romihas" in Greek and ''Cité Roumelie" in French over the entrance. The building was erected by Ragip Pasha, the Head Chamberlain of Abdülhamid II, who built similar buildings in the neighbourhood with the names Anatolia and Africa, symbolizing the three continents over which the Empire spread. The general style of the building is neo-classical with a Baroque enüance from the main street, mixed with Empire ornamentation, giving the whole a quite eclectic appearance.

Next to the han, on the corner of Sakız Ağacı Street is the Agha Camii. It is actually a very old mosque but after all the repairs and restorations it has undergone little remains of its original form. Its present form is the result of the restorations carried out by Mahmud II in 1834. The courtyard contains a polygonal shadirvan with sharp-edged columns. This is one of Shan's creations and was brought here from the Sinan Pasha Mosque in Kasımpaşa one of the mosques designed by Sinan . Inside the mosque you can see Kütahya tiles and painted decoration around the window frames.

On the corner of Yeşil Çam Street you will find the elegant mansion of Abraham Pasha. The Pasha was a Catholic Armenian., one of the richest men in the city and a very successful senior bureaucrat in the Ottoman government. He owned many other apartment buildings as well as sev-cial yalis (waterside mansions) on the Bosphorus. His apartment building in l'era served as the centre for the Cercle d'Orient, a very élite club where only senior diplomats, foreigners, non-Moslems and some high-ranking Turkish pashas were accepted as members. Further down the street, on the left hand side, stands the Galatasaray Lycée, originally a military school for Janissaries and other soldiers of the Ottoman army. It was reorganized and re-opened in 1868 as the first modern school in the Ottoman Empire with a Western mode of educanon. Its original name was Mekteb-i Sultani, the Imperial School, and, under the influence of French culture, teaching was earned out in the French language. A large proportion of Turkish statesmen have been graduates of Galatasaray Lycée. The sculpture consisting of steel pipes in front of the school building symbolizing the concept of dynamism, was made by the sculptor Şadi Çalık on in 1973, the 50th anniversary of the Republic but, perhaps, the concept of dynamism seems to be expressed more effectively by the kids who climb up and play on top of the sculpture today. Across from the Lycée you will find one of the most colourful centres of touristic night -life in Istanbul, the Çiçek Pasajı, or Flower Arcade. The adjacent building, which used to be the famous Tokatliyan Hotel, is now known simply as Tokatlıyan İşhanı. The alley to the left, Sahne Sokak, leads you to the Balık Pazarı, or Fish Market, one of the most colourful markets in Istanbul. The intersecting street on the right is Nevizade Sokağı, an alleyway lined with lively meyhanes on each side. Other noteworthy buildings in the vicinity include, on the left side of the alleyway, Aslihan, an arcade full of second hand bookshops and, parallel to it, Avrupa Pasajı, the Europe Arcade. The other entrance to Çiçek Pasajı on Sahne Sokağı, to the right, hi the alley is also to be found the Armenian Church of Surp Yerortutyun.

Before passing into the parallel street, Hamalbaşı Caddesi, you should stop and take a look at the eclectic-classical facade of the Galatasaray Postanesi, the Galatasaray Post Office, which is now closed. It was erected m 1875 and, after 1907, served as the main post office for the district. On Hamalbaşı Street to the left is die British Embassy, and a little further on Aya Trias Rum Katolik Kilisesi (The Greek Catholic Church of Haghia Trias). However, the emigration of Greek Catiiolics at the beginning of the 20th century led to a decline in the church congregation.
And now we go back to İstiklal Avenue to continue our stroll towards Tünel, On the right hand side you will see Aznavur Arcade and, a little further on, the Hazzopulo Arcade... A few meters away, in a cul de sac, is the Greek Orthodox Church of Panaghia. Simply raise your head a little and you will see the Mısır Apartmanı right ahead, an old apartment building built in 1910 with a fascinating facade. Further on is the church known in Turkish by its French name Saint Antoine, but which is actually a Catholic church with Italian priests.
After Saint Antoıne, passing Nuru Ziya Sokağı on our left, we come to the French Embassy and the French-Anatolian Research Institute. There are also a number of chapels and churches of various sizes in the vicinity, one of these being the chapel of St. Louis, right next door to the French Embassy.

To reach the Latin Catholic Church of St Mary Draperis we should return to istiklal Caddesi and go down the few steps from the mam duur on the ground floor of the han on the main street. Originally built in Galata in 1584, the church burned down manv times and was finally rebuilt in its present location. The name "Draperis" s a reference to Mme. Clara Bratola Draperis who was a Fransiscan and donated the land for the construction of the church after the first fire. However, die church later burned down many times and, after undergoing a whole series of restorations, was finally rebuilt in its present location in 1796 but the original building on this location also burned down. The present building was erected in 1904.
Walking down Balyoz Street, you can see on the right hand side the Pera Palas hotel, hose most famous guests included Atatiirk and
Agatha Christie. On the road leading to Pera Palas there is a museum housing a collection of Anatolian weights and measures. The same floor houses the Kütahya Tiles Collection. In the museum you can also see a rich collection of the most important works of the "Orientalist" school of European painters who were profoundly influenced by Ottoman culture in the period extending from the 17th to the early 19th century. The museum also includes "The Turtle Trainer", the famous painting by Osman Hamdi Bey whom the art historians consider as the only "native orientalist".
Through Aşmalı Mescid Sokak back to the main street, but before entering Kumbaracı Yokuşu right opposite we should take a look at two buildings on İstiklal Caddesi. But first, let us proceed a few meters towards Taksim Square and take a look at the Markiz Arcade. Markiz Patisserie reopened here quite recently, but before the reopening it had remained closed for a very long time. The original Markiz Patisserie was a very elegant cafe popular with the intellectuals of the city. Years later, it has recently been re- opened as an elite patisserie, but it does'not appear to have succeeded in its aim. To see the Italian Consulate. .and the Palazzo di Venezia we should go in to Tomtom Kaptan Sokağı. Then later, as we resume our walk towards the Tünel, on the right you will see the Narmanlı Han, which once used to be a part of the Russian Embassy. It has a very pleasant courtyard but ihrse days it seems to be mostly inhabited by stray cats.

Let us now pay a visit to the Crimean Memorial Church on Kumbaracibasj street. The site, which was once a Greek cemetery, was donated by Abdulmecid to the British to build a church as a memorial of the Crimean War. The construction was begun by the British architect G.E. Street on 19 October 1858 but, for some reason or other, it took ten years to complete. It was finally opened on 22 October 1868. It is in the Neo-Gothic style with stones brought from Malta. At the beginning of 1970s, the decline in the congregation of the Crimean Church led to its closure. The church was restored by Anglican refugees from Sri Lanka in 1991 and subsequently reopened. After visiting the church, we can go on to Galata along Şahkulu Bostan street past tire Tank Zafer Tunaya Cultural Centre. The Tünel can be seen on the left. The name Túnel derives from one of the oldest and shortest subway systems in die world. Built in 1875, after the London and New York subways, it is the third oldest subway in the world and should