Istiklal Avenue is one of the most photographed streets in Istanbul. Situated in the heart of the Beyoglu entertainment district, Istiklal (formerly known as Grand Rue de Pera and Cadde-i Kebir) is a wide avenue adjoining several historic streets from Karakoy Port, Galata Tower and Taksim Square. The red streetcar from the Ottoman days is probably the best-known image of the avenue, which has long become the symbol of Istanbul.
Istiklal Avenue has been viewed as a relatively successful gentrification example of the Beyoglu beautification effort compared to other areas. With political gatherings of all sorts, popular cultural events, countless shops and an active nightlife, it was the place to be seen.
Fancy cafes, international chains and upscale restaurants replaced the seedy underground lifestyles of the back alleys for which Beyoglu was notorious in the 1980s and 1990s. At one time, no trip to Istanbul would be complete without strolling down Istiklal Avenue, enjoying the different scents of foods, watching the bustle and diversity of a cosmopolitan city and viewing street musicians from all over the world. Almost all are gone now.
The glitter of Istiklal Avenue is fading, and the deterioration is acknowledged in the graffiti-decorated shutters of abandoned businesses. Erdem Dilbaz, a resident of Beyoglu for 15 years, has been taking pictures of all the businesses shut down in Istiklal this summer. His photo archive has generated a preliminary report by the 140 Journos network. Several international brands left Istiklal Avenue in the last three months, and almost none of the emptied lots have been rented. Starbucks, Columbia Sportswear, Pizza Hut, Teknosa, Media Markt, Otto, House Cafe, MidPoint and Mama Shelter along with prominent Turkish establishments such as Pasabahce have shut their doors. Several of the vendors in Istiklal told Al-Monitor that the first flight of major businesses was in September 2015, when telecommunication giant Turkcell, with its 2,000 employees and thousands of daily customers, took off from the neighborhood.
AL-MONITOR All-Access gives you unlimited access to all our journalism, the full Daily Briefing, exclusive interviews, premium newsletters, and live events — for less than $2/week.
