Page 44 - Reside Magazine Briggs Freeman

Layers of Life

an eight-story cultural center here. Its towering glass facade overlooks both
the massive and ornate entrance gate of the prestigious Galatasaray High School,
originally founded as the Ottoman palace school in the 15th century, and
Galatasaray Square, an iconic gathering point for protest and demonstration,
currently cordoned off.
Over the past decade, Beyoğlu, along with the rest of Istanbul, has been
buffeted by political and economic turmoil, a global pandemic, gentrification
and the mixed blessings of tourism. When Yapı Kredi, a large Turkish bank,
.
debuted its new 5,600-square-meter arts venue on Istiklal in 2017, it followed
a particularly tough couple of years that spurred something of an exodus from
Beyoğlu. The reopening felt like a welcome sign, suggesting that there was life
in the old neighborhood yet.
“Beyoğlu has always had its ups and downs throughout history,” says
designer Serra Türker, founder of luxury handbag and accessories brand Misela.
She has stores in Istanbul, New York, London and the Turkish resort town of
Bodrum, but Beyoğlu is where it all began. “It’s part of our identity,” she says.
Türker opened Misela’s first shop in a late-19th-century building on
Meşrutiyet Caddesi, another storied avenue that
.
winds roughly parallel to Istiklal. Her current
neighbors include the Michelin-listed Aheste,
a contemporary Turkish-Middle Eastern bistro
with exposed-brick walls and intimate lighting;
a concept store for the socially responsible
multi-brand apparel retailer Vitruta; and
a branch of the third-wave coffee shop Petra
Roasting Company, which shares space with
Bilsart, a gallery devoted to video art.
Just up the street is Minoa, a design-
forward Turkish- and English-language
bookstore that opened its Beyoğlu location
in 2023, complete with a cafe, restaurant, bar
and small performance space. It shares the
historic Union Française building, designed by
French architect Alexandre Vallaury in 1896
in the Belle Époque style, with the well-known

Right: Serra Türker launched
her handbag and accessories label,
Misela, in Beyoğlu, in 2012
Center: The terrace of Istanbul
Modern provides picturesque views
across the water
Far right: A 1968 rehearsal of
Verdi’s “Aida” at the Atatürk
Cultural Center

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