Some words about Beyoglu
Beyoglu district, or the New City, is remarkable, first of all, due to the fact that it sharply differs from the streets with minarets, seen through the tree crowns, which are common to Istanbul. This part of the city is a business and cultural center of Istanbul, and was relatively recently built; many of its buildings date back to the end of the 19th century, and therefore the architecture of the district is mainly in the modern style, which was popular at that time.
The Modern style
To make it easier for you to imagine the beauty of the district, we will give you some information about the modern style itself.
The architecture of the modern style appeared in Belgium, and started to spread to Europe and outside it in 1890's-1910's in the framework of the modern artistic current. The peculiarity of this style consists in the refuse from the straight lines and right angles, and the use of more natural lines and modern technologies. In addition, the modern style attempts to combine the beauty and functionality of buildings, and the thorough artistic elaboration of external elements as stairs, balconies, and pillars.
The architecture of Beyoglu
This part of Istanbul admires with its antiquity: it is known that people lived here since 4th-5th centuries, when the outskirts of Constantinople were on the place of today's Beyoglu. During the Byzantine period foreigners and adherents of different faiths used to settle here; once the Genoese merchants founded the Galata colony on the bay shore, and won independence inside the country: even the local governor was appointed form Genoa. When Turks conquered the city, Beyoglu continued to be an European district, where Italian sailors and merchants, Moors, Arabs, and other peoples lived. Probably, due to this tinge of the European olden times this part of Istanbul is built up according to the European traditions. It brings an element of variety to the general architectural aspect of the city. The numerous modern-style buildings of the district decorate Istanbul, and the abundance of shops, shopping centers, restaurants, Christian churches, and markets add the necessary functionality to this beauty, making the district not only an attractive one, but useful for those, who do not like to waste their time on useless walks and strolls.
