Taksim Square
Encyclopedia
Taksim Square situated in the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an part of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, with the central station of the Istanbul Metro
Istanbul Metro
The Istanbul Metro, or the M2, is a mass-transit underground railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 2000, it now includes 13 stations. The system currently consists of a single north-south line...
network. Taksim Square is also the location of the Cumhuriyet Anıtı
Cumhuriyet Aniti
The Monument of the Republic is a notable monument located at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey to commemorate the formation of the Turkish Republic in 1923. Built in two and half years with financial support from the population and unveiled by Dr...
(Monument of the Republic) which was crafted by the famous Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica and inaugurated in 1928. The monument commemorates the formation of the Republic of Turkey in 1923, following the Turkish War of Independence
Turkish War of Independence
The Turkish War of Independence was a war of independence waged by Turkish nationalists against the Allies, after the country was partitioned by the Allies following the Ottoman Empire's defeat in World War I...
.
History
Taksim, from ArabicArabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
taqṣīm, means "division" or "distribution". The Taksim square was originally the point where the main water lines from the north of Istanbul were collected and branched off to other parts of the city (hence the name). This use for the area was established by Sultan Mahmud I
Mahmud I
Mahmud I , called the Hunchback was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1730 to 1754.-Biography:...
. The square takes its name from the stone reservoir which is located in this area. Additionally, the word "Taksim
Taqsim
Taqsim is the name of a melodic improvisation style that could be metric or non-metric, which usually precedes a composition in Arabic, Turkish, Greek, and other Middle Eastern music. The taqsim is usually performed by a solo instrument, yet sometimes the soloist can be backed by a percussionist...
" can refer to a special improvisational musical form in Turkish classical music that is guided by the Makam
Makam
Makam In Turkish classical music, a system of melody types called makam provides a complex set of rules for composing and performance...
system. Another significant building that once stood on the square was the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks
Taksim Military Barracks
Taksim Military Barracks or Halil Pasha Artillery Barracks is a demolished historic structure formerly located at the site of the present-day Taksim Park next to Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in 1806, during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Selim III...
(Taksim Topçu Kışlası, which later became the Taksim Stadium
Taksim Stadium
Taksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,...
), but it was demolished in 1940, during the construction works of the Taksim Park (Taksim Gezi Parkı.)
Taksim Square today
Taksim is a main transportation hub and a popular destination for both tourists and the native population of Istanbul. İstiklal Caddesi (Independence Avenue), a long pedestrian shopping street, ends at this square, and a nostalgic tram runs from the square along the avenue, ending near the TünelTünel
The Tünel is a short underground railway line in Istanbul, Turkey. It is an underground funicular with two stations, connecting the quarters of Karaköy and Beyoğlu. Located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the underground railway tunnel goes uphill from close to sea level and is about 555...
(1875) which is the world's second-oldest subway line after London's Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
(1863). Surrounding Taksim Square are numerous travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, pubs, and international fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
chains such as Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is an American restaurant chain and international franchise that offers different styles of pizza along with side dishes including pasta, buffalo wings, breadsticks, and garlic bread....
, McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
, Subway
Subway (restaurant)
Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
and Burger King
Burger King
Burger King, often abbreviated as BK, is a global chain of hamburger fast food restaurants headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. The company began in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, a Jacksonville, Florida-based restaurant chain...
. It is also home to some of Istanbul's grandest hotels including the InterContinental
InterContinental
InterContinental is a brand of upscale luxury hotels, founded by Pan American World Airways, under Juan Trippe, and now owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. The chain operates over 200 hotels and resorts in approximately 75 nations.-History:...
, the Ritz-Carlton
Ritz-Carlton
The Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotels and resorts with 75 properties located in major cities and resorts in 24 countries worldwide...
and The Marmara Hotel.
Taksim is also a favourite location for public events such as parades, New Year celebrations or other social gatherings.
Atatürk Cultural Center
Atatürk Cultural Center
Atatürk Cultural Center , called also simply as AKM, is a multi-purpose cultural center located in Taksim Square of Istanbul, Turkey...
(Atatürk Kültür Merkezi), a multi-purpose cultural center and opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
, is also located at Taksim Square.
NTV television had its morning news studio on Taksim Square for a number of broadcasting seasons, before moving to its new studio in 2011.
Transportation
Taksim Square is an important hub for public transport in IstanbulPublic transport in Istanbul
Public transport in Istanbul comprises a bus network, various rail systems, funiculars, and maritime services to serve the more than 13 million inhabitants of the city spread over an area of 5712 km².-History:...
. In addition to serving as the main transfer point for the municipal bus system, Taksim Square is also the terminus of the Hacıosman-4.Levent-Taksim-Yenikapı subway line of the Istanbul Metro
Istanbul Metro
The Istanbul Metro, or the M2, is a mass-transit underground railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 2000, it now includes 13 stations. The system currently consists of a single north-south line...
. The İstiklal Avenue
Istiklal Avenue
İstiklal Avenue or Istiklal Street is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends...
-Tünel
Tünel
The Tünel is a short underground railway line in Istanbul, Turkey. It is an underground funicular with two stations, connecting the quarters of Karaköy and Beyoğlu. Located at the northern shore of the Golden Horn, the underground railway tunnel goes uphill from close to sea level and is about 555...
nostalgic tram line also starts in Taksim.
Taksim's position was given an extra boost on June 29, 2006, when the new funicular
Funicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
line connecting the Taksim Metro station with the Kabataş
Kabatas, Istanbul
Kabataş is a quarter of Beyoğlu municipality in Istanbul, Turkey. It is situated on the European shore of the Bosphorus, between Beşiktaş and Karaköy.-References:* Istanbul.com - -External links:*...
tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way station and seaport
Ido
Ido is a constructed language created with the goal of becoming a universal second language for speakers of different linguistic backgrounds as a language easier to learn than ethnic languages...
was opened, allowing riders to ascend to Taksim in just 110 seconds.
Demonstrations and incidents
The square has been an important venue for political protestsProtest
A protest is an expression of objection, by words or by actions, to particular events, policies or situations. Protests can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations...
during much of its existence. Groups from all sides of the political spectrum in Turkey, as well as many NGOs, try to demonstrate in this square in order to use its visibility for the benefit of their cause. On February 16th, 1969, some 150 leftist demonstrators were injured during clashes with right wing groups in what is known as "Bloody Sunday." In the events known as the Taksim Square massacre
Taksim Square massacre
The Taksim Square massacre relates to the incidents on 1 May, 1977, the international Labour Day on Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey.-Background:...
, thirty-six left-wing demonstrators were killed by unidentified and allegedly right-wing gunmen on the square during the Labour Day
Labour Day
Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement, specifically the eight-hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for...
demonstrations of May 1, 1977. Following many other violent incidents, all forms of group protests were banned in the square and the police units maintained a round-the-clock presence to prevent any incidents. The ban did not apply to surrounding avenues or streets. Today, Taksim Square is once again the starting point or destination of many political demonstrations; moreover, mass meetings on Labour Day were permitted for the first time in 2010 and have been taking place peacefully ever since. Taksim Square was the location of football riots in 2000 when two Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
fans were stabbed to death during clashes with Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
fans, the night before the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
semi-final first leg match between the two teams. On October 31, 2010, a suicide bomb
2010 Istanbul bomb blast
The 2010 Istanbul bomb blast was a suicide bombing which took place on Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey on 31 October 2010 at 10:34. The bomb resulted in at least 32 injuries, 15 of whom were police officers.-Attack:...
went off next to a police bus. The bomber, a Kurdish
Kurdish people
The Kurdish people, or Kurds , are an Iranian people native to the Middle East, mostly inhabiting a region known as Kurdistan, which includes adjacent parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey...
terrorist
Kurdistan Freedom Falcons
The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons , also known as the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks or the Kurdish Vengeance Brigade, is a militant group that has committed attacks throughout Turkey, operating in southern Turkey and northern Iraq with a goal of securing Kurdish secession from Turkey...
, died, while 15 police officers and 17 civilians were injured.
However, gatherings for events such as New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve
New Year's Eve is observed annually on December 31, the final day of any given year in the Gregorian calendar. In modern societies, New Year's Eve is often celebrated at social gatherings, during which participants dance, eat, consume alcoholic beverages, and watch or light fireworks to mark the...
, Republic Day
Republic Day (Turkey)
The Republic Day of Turkey is one of the public holidays in Turkey, commemorating the proclamation of the republic in 1923. It lasts 35 hours, starting at 1:00 pm on October 28....
celebrations, or mass-screenings of important football matches are excluded from the ban. The annual Istanbul pride
Istanbul Pride
Gay Pride Istanbul is the annual gay pride march and LGBT demonstration which is held in the biggest city of Turkey, Istanbul. The first pride took place in 2003 and now occurs on the last Sunday of June of each year, as closure of the Istanbul pride week. The first Pride had around 30 participants...
takes place on the square as well.
See also
- Atatürk Cultural CenterAtatürk Cultural CenterAtatürk Cultural Center , called also simply as AKM, is a multi-purpose cultural center located in Taksim Square of Istanbul, Turkey...
- BeyoğluBeyogluBeyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city by the Golden Horn...
- Istanbul MetroIstanbul MetroThe Istanbul Metro, or the M2, is a mass-transit underground railway network that serves the city of Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 2000, it now includes 13 stations. The system currently consists of a single north-south line...
- İstiklal AvenueIstiklal Avenueİstiklal Avenue or Istiklal Street is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, visited by nearly 3 million people in a single day over the course of weekends...
- Monument of the Republic
- Taksim Military BarracksTaksim Military BarracksTaksim Military Barracks or Halil Pasha Artillery Barracks is a demolished historic structure formerly located at the site of the present-day Taksim Park next to Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey. It was built in 1806, during the reign of the Ottoman Sultan Selim III...
- Taksim StadiumTaksim StadiumTaksim Stadium was the first football stadium in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally the 19th century Taksim Artillery Barracks it was transformed into a stadium in 1921 and was located in the center of the city, on Taksim Square. The ground was the home of all major football clubs in Istanbul,...