November 3, 1839 was the beginning of a new period in istanbul. with the ottoman sultan’s firman of reforms, announced by being read to public in gülhane garden of topkapı palace, the process of westernization gained pace. in this period, lots of innovations took place in istanbul, from architecture to way of life, and from educational institutions to industrial organizations.
In parallel to the enlargement of the city, a hectic constructional activity was in progress. On one hand sultans, on the other hand statesmen, non-Muslim wealthy people and foreign embassies built villas and mansions. Dolmabahçe, Çırağan and Beylerbeyi Palaces, Ihlamur and Küçüksu Pavillons, Ayazağa, Alemdağ, İcadiye and Mecidiye Villas were built in this period. Also in this period, many state-owned buildings called “mebain-i emriyye” were built. These include postal administration offices in many districts, Tophane, Maçka Arsenals, Harbiye Ministry and Pangaltı Harbiye Buildings.
This rapid westernization activity left its traces in architecture as well. In this period, classical Ottoman architecture was abandoned and new buildings were made in western styles such as baroque, rococo, neogothic and ampire. Indeed, this change in style penetrated into the architecture of mosques as well.
Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ is your digital pass to 100+ attractions, including Istanbul’s top sights, guided tours and unique experiences. It gives you skip-the-line access and nothing to pay at the door.
Use code PROMO5 at checkout
Limited time offer
In those years, there were notable improvements in infrastructure and urban services. These include the building of a bridge over Golden Horn, tunnel (subway), Rumelian Rail, launch of Şirket-i Hayriye that administered in-city sea transport, establishment of other state offices of Şehremaneti (Municipality), hauling of the first telegraph line, establishing of Police Force Directorate and the police stations under its control, servicing of Vakıf Gureba Hospital and Horse-Drawn Tram Company.
A great importance was given to the opening of modern educational institutions that would nourish the process of westernization. Darülfünun, the foundation of today’s University of Istanbul, men’s and girl’s high schools, School of Architecture, School of Telegraph Information, College of Education, Teachers High School, School of Forestry, School of Nursery and Midwifery, Mekteb-i Sultani (Lycee of Galatasaray), School of Industry and School of Medicine and State Administration were the schools which started their education period then.
Reviews
Welcome to Istanbul, a city where cultures come and unite from all over the country. This city has been hosting different cultures in the country for centuries. Through this wide range of cultures, it brings forth a broad cuisine thanks to its culture and history. Today we will look at one of the country’s most essential and delicious dishes: börek; cheese, spinach, or meat puffs. It is made in almost every city and every culture in Istanbul. Börek, a dish that attracts the attention of tourists, has been a part of the city’s culture for centuries.
If you have ever been to istanbul, we are sure that you saw those big yellow cars that are very similar to taxis or minibuses going around the city. Although they look different in the beginning, they are all called as Dolmus. These are the only transportation vehicles you need to pay cash like some of taxis.
Istanbul offers something for everyone’s taste and budget. the city is well-known for its ancient bazaars and marketplaces. the grand bazaar (kapali carsi) is without a doubt istanbul’s most popular tourist shopping destination. then there’s the adjacent egyptian market (spice bazaar), where you may buy a wide variety of spices. furthermore, cukurcuma, beyoglu’s district, is well-known for its antiquities. however, we will not be discussing these antique bazaars in this post. instead, we’ll look at the daily street bazaars that can be found all throughout the city.
Read More
Whoever visited istanbul knows about its delicious and diverse food, especially fish. it is normal for istanbul to be famous with seafood because it was built around black sea, mediterean, and marmara sea which makes fish one of the main food resources for this city. fish and seafood restaurants are spread everywhere in istanbul, you can actually pump into a meyhane at any street or corner. in general, fish and seafood are served with raki drink ( turkish pasits ) and meze. for a starter, both hot and cold meze are served to you, you can pick what you want to eat from the menu or from the tray of mezes because meze has a lot of types and options like hummus, eggs, octopus salads, marinated sea bass with mustard, and many other vegetable salads. it is important to know that mezes are only served to stop your stomach of rumbling while your fish is being cooked, so do not get full of eating meze, calm down, the queen dish is about to be served. you will be amazed by the delicious taste of juicy fish that melts inside of your mouth. here are some of the most famous fish and seafood restaurants:
Read More
Croatian 
Indonesian 
Urdu 
Taiwanese 
Russian 
Romanian 
Portuguese 
Persian 
Macedonian 
Korean 
Japanese 
Italian 
Indian 
Hungarian 
Greek 
German 
Chinese 
Bulgarian 
Arabic 
French 
Spanish 
English 