Taksim Square

Lonely Planet review

The symbolic heart of modern İstanbul, this busy square is named after the stone reservoir on its western side, once part of the city's old water-conduit system. The main water line from the Belgrade Forest, north of the city, was laid to this point in 1732 by Sultan Mahmut I (r 1730-54). Branch lines then led from the taksim to other parts of the city.

Hardly a triumph of urban design, the square has a chaotic bus terminus on one side, a slightly pathetic garden laid out in its centre and the tracks of the İstiklal Caddesi tram circumnavigating this garden. Nonetheless, this doesn't prevent locals nominating it as a favoured meeting point and making the terraces of the nearby Burger King and Simit Sarayı, which afford views over it, two of the most popular fast-food stops in the city. The government and municipality often organise for official events - usually related to the police or military - to be held here. During such events it's not unusual to see tanks and riot police surrounding the square and police sharpshooters atop nearby buildings.

The prominent modern building at the eastern end of the plaza is the Atatürk Cultural Centre (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi, sometimes called the Opera House; ). In the summertime, during the International İstanbul Music Festival, tickets for the various concerts are on sale in the ticket office here, and numerous performances are staged in the centre's halls.

At the western end of the square is the Cumhuriyet Anıtı (Republic Monument), created by Canonica, an Italian sculptor, in 1928. It features Atatürk, his assistant and successor, İsmet İnönü, and other revolutionary leaders. The monument's purpose was not only to commemorate revolutionary heroes, but also to break down the Ottoman-Islamic prohibition against the making of 'graven images'.