An Evening in Beyoğlu: From Red Sphere to Jazz Stage

1. 01
   Music

   Look Closely at the Red Sphere

   Start at the exterior of Atatürk Cultural Center facing Taksim Square and take in the giant red sphere. It is covered with fifteen thousand handmade ceramic pieces, with the glaze formula developed by Italian ceramic artist Alexandra Khuen-Belasi. Inside the sphere is a 2,040-seat opera hall. The building's first version opened in 1969.

   Atatürk Kültür Merkezi (AKM), Taksim, Istanbul, Turkey
2. 02
   Exploration

   Ride the Red Tram Downhill

   Continue with the nostalgic red tram along İstiklal Avenue to Tünel Square. The tram runs for one and a half kilometers through pedestrian crowds and was put back into service in 1990. The cars are not imports: they are restored carriages from Istanbul's first tram line, which closed in 1966. Since 2024, they have also been able to run on battery power.

   Tünel Meydanı, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey
3. 03
   Culture

   See Deniz Palas in Its Second Life

   Walk to Salon İKSV in Şişhane, inside the Nejat Eczacıbaşı Building. This seven-story building used to be Deniz Palas Apartment. İKSV moved here in 2009, and the hall on the lower floor opened in 2010 with a concert by The Bad Plus. The venue seats 150 or holds 400 standing, and its movable stage allows it to transform into a theatre space as well.

   Salon IKSV, Sadi Konuralp Caddesi, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey
4. 04
   Music

   Arrive When the Doors Open at Eight-Thirty

   Finish at Nardis Jazz Club in Kuledibi, a jazz venue that opened on 29 October 2002. It was founded by guitarist Önder Focan and his wife Zuhal Focan. The 120-seat room hosts live music six nights a week. Doors open at 20:30, the concert starts at 21:30, and two sets run until midnight.

   Nardis Jazz Club, Galata Kulesi Sokak, Beyoglu, Istanbul, Turkey

Check opening hours before you go. Hours, access conditions and weather can change.