View of Taksim Square from Burger King

View of Taksim Park and Levent financial district as seen from the roof bar of The Marmara Hotel on Taksim Square

Taksim Square (Turkish: Taksim Meydanı) situated in the European part of Istanbul, Turkey, is a major shopping, tourist and leisure district famed for its restaurants, shops and hotels. It is considered the heart of modern Istanbul, and is the location of the Cumhuriyet Anıtı (Republic Monument), which was built in 1928 and commemorates the formation of the Turkish Republic. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (2592 × 1944 pixel, file size: 2. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (840 × 560 pixel, file size: 467 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) View of Taksim Park and Levent financial district as seen from the bar of The Marmara Hotel on Taksim Square, Istanbul, 15 July 2003 File... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (840 × 560 pixel, file size: 467 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) View of Taksim Park and Levent financial district as seen from the bar of The Marmara Hotel on Taksim Square, Istanbul, 15 July 2003 File... Levent financial district View from Sporcular Park A double decker commuter bus on Taksim Square, running between the European and Asian districts of Istanbul, with a Turkcell advertisement showing Levent financial district and the Bosphorus Bridge, as seen from NakkaÅŸtepe Hill on the Asian side of the Bosphorus Levent... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Istanbul (Turkish: , Greek: , historically Byzantium and later Constantinople; see other names) is Turkeys most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. ... Cumhuriyet Aniti Cumhuriyet Aniti (English: The Republic Monument) is a notable monument located at Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkey. ... Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

History

Taksim, from Arabic 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. The square takes its name from the stone reservoir which is located in this area. Additionally, the word "Taksim" can refer to a special improvisational musical form in Turkish classical music that is guided by the Makam system. Arabic ( or just ) is the largest living member of the Semitic language family in terms of speakers. ... Sultan Mahmud I Mahmud I (August 2, 1696 – December 13, 1754) was the sultan of the Ottoman empire from 1730 to 1754. ... Taqsim is the term of the first movement in Islamic music, which is a melodic improvisation style that could be metric or non-metric. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ...

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 Tünel (1875) which is the world's second-oldest subway line after London's Underground (1863). Surrounding Taksim Square are numerous travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, pubs, and international fast food chains such as Pizza Hut, McDonald's and Burger King. It is also home to some of Istanbul's grandest hotels including the InterContinental, the Ritz-Carlton and The Marmara Hotel. Ä°stiklal Avenue in the BeyoÄŸlu district of Istanbul Çiçek Pasajı (Flower Passage), also known by its French name Cité de Péra, is one of the many historic buildings that adorn the avenue Ä°stiklal Avenue (Turkish: Ä°stiklal Caddesi) is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey... Istanbuls Tünel from 1875 was the first underground railway in continental Europe The Tünel is a short subway line in Istanbul, Turkey. ... 1875 (MDCCCLXXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Fast food is food prepared and served quickly at a fast-food restaurant or shop at low cost. ... Pizza Hut Inc. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants, primarily selling hamburgers, chicken, french fries, milkshakes and soft drinks. ... Burger King (often abbreviated to BK) is a large international chain of fast food restaurants, predominantly selling burgers, french fries, soft drinks, desserts, and various sandwiches. ... InterContinental The Grand, New Delhi, 2006. ... Ritz-Carlton is a brand of luxury hotel and resort with 63 properties that are located in major cities and exclusive resort destinations of 21 countries worldwide. ...

Taksim is also a favourite location for public events such as parades, New Year celebrations or other social gatherings.

Atatürk Cultural Center (Atatürk Kültür Merkezi), a multi-purpose cultural center and opera house, is also located on Taksim Square. Atatürk Cultural Center (Turkish: Atatürk Kültür Merkezi), called also simply as AKM, is a multi-purpose cultural center located in Taksim Square of Ä°stanbul, Turkey. ...

Transportation

Taksim Square is an important hub for public transport in Istanbul. In addition to serving as the main transfer point for the municipal bus system, Taksim Square is also the terminus of the 4.Levent-Taksim subway line of the Istanbul Metro. The İstiklal Avenue-Tünel nostalgic tram line also starts in Taksim. Public transport in Istanbul comprises of an extensive bus network, various rail systems, funiculars and maritime services for the more than 10 million inhabitants of the city with an area of 5712 km². // Public road transport in Istanbul dates back to August 30, 1869, when a contract to build a... The subway system in Istanbul was initiated in 1992 and was completed in 2000. ... Ä°stiklal Avenue Ä°stiklal Avenue (Ä°stiklal Caddesi in Turkish), is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, approximately visited by 3 million people in one day over the course of weekends. ... Istanbuls Tünel from 1875 was the first underground railway in continental Europe The Tünel is a short subway line in Istanbul, Turkey. ...

Taksim's position was given an extra boost on June 29, 2006, when the new funicular line connecting the Taksim Metro station with the Kabataş tramway station and seaport was opened, allowing riders to ascend to Taksim in just 110 seconds.^[1] Angels Flight, Los Angeles, California with gantlet track configuration Duquesne Incline, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with full length parallel tracks The Gütschbahn in Lucerne, Switzerland – from an 1893 guidebook A funicular, also called funicular railway, inclined railway, inclined plane, or, in the United Kingdom, a cliff railway, is a system of... A Tram or Light rail system Historically, a railway, particularly one used for the carriage of minerals. ...

Demonstrations

The square has been an important venue of political protests during much of its existence. In the events known as the Taksim Square massacre, thirty-six left-wing demonstrators were murdered by unidentified, allegedly right-wing, gunmen on the square during Labour Day demonstrations on May 1, 1977. Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the World Bank and International Monetary Fund on April 16, 2005. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Labour Day Parade in Toronto in early 1900s A Labour Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from efforts of the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...

Notes and references

See also

• İstiklal Avenue
• Beyoğlu

İstiklal Avenue İstiklal Avenue (İstiklal Caddesi in Turkish), is one of the most famous avenues in Istanbul, Turkey, approximately visited by 3 million people in one day over the course of weekends. ... İstiklâl Avenue and the tram line running between Taksim Square and Tünel Beyoğlu is a district located on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. ...

External links

• Pictures of Taksim Square
• 2006 New Year Celebrations at Taksim Square

Coordinates: 41°02′13″N, 28°59′09″E Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ...