“A municipality and district?” you ask. \u0130zzet Pa\u015fa Mahallesi is more than that. It is a neighborhood within \u015ei\u015fli. But what does that mean to you?
\u0130zzet Pa\u015fa Mahallesi is part of Istanbul. More precisely, it’s a piece of the \u015ei\u015fli district. This district is a municipality too. \u015ei\u015fli covers about 10 square kilometers. Around 276,528 people call it home. That was as of 2022.
\u015ei\u015fli sits on Istanbul’s European side. It is bordered by bustling districts. Be\u015fikta\u015f lies to the east. Sar\u0131yer is to the north. Ey\u00fcp and Ka\u011f\u0131thane are to the west. Beyo\u011flu sits to the south.
Once, \u015ei\u015fli was open countryside. Think hunting grounds and farms before the 1800s. Then it transformed. It became a middle-class area during the late Ottoman Empire. The early Turkish Republic also shaped it. French culture played a big role. Wide avenues emerged. Stone buildings rose with high ceilings. Art Nouveau balconies added flair. Some buildings even had tiny elevators.
A diverse middle class called \u015ei\u015fli home. Jews, Greeks and Armenians were among them. Some Turks also settled here after a fire in Pera. That is today’s Beyo\u011flu. Even now, many Armenian families live in Kurtulu\u015f. Catholic Levantine traders also liked \u015ei\u015fli. They came for business with the Ottoman Empire. \u015ei\u015fli drew migrants from Greece and the Balkans too.
\u015ei\u015fli got tramlines, electricity and gas early on. The Dar\u00fclaceze orphanage and \u015ei\u015fli Etfal Hospital were built then. French schools like St. Michel and Notre Dame de Sion also opened.
After the 1920s, bigger buildings appeared. Halaskargazi Caddesi became a main road. Shops lined arcades under apartments and offices. The middle class still liked the area. Traders came too. Writers and poets found inspiration. Theatres and cafes added culture. The Hilton Istanbul Bosphorus arrived in the 1950s and many others followed.
From the 1950s, Anatolian people sought work in Istanbul. They built illegal settlements called gecekondu. Some settled in \u015ei\u015fli around Mecidiyek\u00f6y.
Today, \u015ei\u015fli’s wealthy have moved to suburbs. Offices, banks and shops fill the grand avenues now. It is now Istanbul’s Central Business District. Many old buildings were replaced since the 1970s. Newer structures took their place. The back streets are still residential. Working-class families and students live there. Shops, cafes and pubs are plentiful. \u015ei\u015fli is not wealthy now. Its central spot still makes it desirable.
As you wander through \u0130zzet Pa\u015fa Mahallesi, remember its story. From open fields to a bustling hub it is part of \u015ei\u015fli’s ongoing evolution.