Istanbul Without Sultanahmet: 48 Hours in Karaköy, the Neighborhood That Took Over the Scene

On the European side of the Bosphorus, below the Galata Tower, an old dock area has become where Istanbul truly happens in 2026.

1. Istanbul Without Sultanahmet: 48 Hours in Karaköy, the Neighborhood That Took Over the Scene

   On the European side of the Bosphorus, below the Galata Tower, an old dock area has become where Istanbul truly happens in 2026.

2. 01.

   Karaköy is on the European side, on the northern shore of the Golden Horn, right below Galata—a 12-minute walk from Hagia Sophia across the bridge.

3. 02.

   The renewal began in 2015 with the temporary Istanbul Modern and exploded post-2020 with the arrival of third-wave cafés, galleries, and the new Renzo Piano building.

4. 03.

   Karaköy Lokantası remains the reference for classic meze—lunch, not dinner, is the secret.

5. 04.

   Karaköy Güllüoğlu has been serving baklava since 1820. It's the original shop, not a franchise.

6. 05.

   Yeralti Camii (Underground Mosque) is literally beneath a Genoese-era warehouse—almost no one enters.

7. 🇹🇷 Istambul

   On the European side of the Bosphorus, below the Galata Tower, an old dock area has become where Istanbul truly happens in 2026.