Taksim Square
The beating heart of modern Istanbul — a vast pedestrian plaza where the city meets, celebrates and begins every journey.
Taksim, meaning 'distribution' in Ottoman Turkish, takes its name from the 18th-century stone reservoir that once distributed water to the neighborhoods of Beyoğlu. Over the centuries the square grew from a quiet water depot into Istanbul's most symbolic public space. At its center stands the Republic Monument, unveiled in 1928 to commemorate the founding of the Turkish Republic and its leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Today Taksim is the launching point for İstiklal Street and a stage for concerts, parades and the everyday life of millions.
The original Ottoman water reservoir that gave Taksim its name still stands at the edge of the square — over 280 years old.