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Take the old-fashioned tramway that runs
along its length right up to Taksim Square at
the top of the hill. No trip would be
complete without boarding one of these
vehicles that are renowned for carrying
shoppers and tourists up and down the
bustling avenue as they’ve done for decades.
İstiklal also has some very interesting side
streets and small arcades that may be worth the
detour.
The Nişantaşı neighborhood is known for
its luxury, whether it’s the showroom of a
local designer or the boutique of a world
famous brand. On Abdi İpekçi Caddesi,
you’ll find everything from Prada to Louis
Vuitton, as well as Vakko and Beymen,
Turkey’s premier luxury brands. It’s a
shopoholics dream street. If you are on a
budget trip then you can simply take a detour
and walk to Teşvikiye Caddesi, where more
moderately priced stores such as Zara,
Massimo Dutti, and Scotch & Soda are
located.
You can also visit the City’s Shopping Center for more store options, including imports like
Banana Republic and Gap.
On the east side of the road, just after the
square, is Maçka Park, which is home to the
interesting Military Museum. The area around
Istiklal Caddesi is home to many churches and
old consulate buildings with ornate facades.
Also nearby is Orhan Pamuk's Museum of
Innocence. For those avid readers, Pamuk is
Turkey's most famous author and the winner
of the Nobel Prize for Literature. This
conceptual-art museum is based around the
theme of his novel that may interest readers.
A must stop after a meal is at Mustafa for Kunafa , which is a cheese dessert served with ice
cream or at Saray Muhallebicisi if you want to sample the very best traditional Turkish
desserts from baklava to lokma (fried, crispy balls of dough in a sweet syrup, both at once crisp
and deliciously gooey). They will keep the taste buds drooling.