City on Pocket Money: A Student Day in Beyazıt

1. 01
   Exploration

   Spot the Roman Stones on the Sidewalk

   Notice the unprotected stone fragments standing right beside Ordu Caddesi: they belong to the Arch of Theodosius. The square here was once the largest in Byzantium, and the forum founded in the 4th century was reorganized in 393 in the name of Emperor Theodosius I. The arch’s columns were uncovered during excavations between 1948 and 1961.

   Theodosius Zafer Takı kalıntıları, Istanbul, Turkey
2. 02
   History

   Read the Gate from the Outside

   Stand on the square side of the monumental gate north of Beyazıt Square. It was built between 1864 and 1866 for Sultan Abdülaziz, its inscription shows 1865, and the calligraphy is by Şefik Bey. The gate was originally the Bâb-ı Seraskerî, the entrance to the army headquarters; today the university stands behind it, but the gate still defines the character of the square.

   Istanbul University Main Gate, Beyazıt Square, Istanbul, Turkey
3. 03
   Photography

   Check the Tower’s Color

   Look up at the stone Beyazıt Tower rising behind the gate. It was built in 1828 for Mahmud II by architect Senekerim Balyan after earlier wooden towers burned down twice. The 85-meter tower once used colored lights at the top as a weather code: blue for clear weather, green for rain, yellow for fog, and red for snow.

   Beyazıt Kulesi, Beyazıt Meydanı, Istanbul, Turkey
4. 04
   History

   Find Free Shade in the Courtyard

   Step into the courtyard of Beyazıt Mosque and its complex for a quiet break from the square. Construction of the Bayezid II Complex began in 1500 and finished in 1505. The architect is debated, though archival research points to Yakup Şah. The complex is not symmetrical because it had to spread over the remains of the Byzantine forum.

   Beyazıt Mosque courtyard gate, Istanbul, Turkey
5. 05
   Culture

   Look for a Free Study Desk

   Enter the Beyazıt State Library, operating inside the complex’s 1506 imaret building. Founded in 1884, it is considered the first state-established library in the country and legally receives a copy of every published book. Entry is free, no membership is required, and an ID at the door is enough. For a student, this is one of the cheapest study desks in the city.

   Beyazıt State Library, Istanbul, Turkey
6. 06
   Local

   Dive Between the Bookstalls

   Browse Sahaflar Çarşısı, the secondhand booksellers’ market. The sahafs were once gathered in their own streets inside the Grand Bazaar, then gradually moved here after the 1894 earthquake. The market burned in 1950, was rebuilt in reinforced concrete, and reopened in 1952. Today there are around forty shops, mostly focused on textbooks, and the old antiquarian atmosphere has noticeably faded.

   Sahaflar Çarşısı Beyazıt entrance, Istanbul, Turkey
7. 07
   Food

   Try Sand-Brewed Turkish Coffee

   Take a cheap sitting break in one of the Grand Bazaar coffeehouses just beyond the Sahaflar gate. Here, Turkish coffee is brewed not on a stove but in hot sand: the cezve is buried into the sand so heat reaches it evenly from every side. One cup is one of the most affordable pauses on this route.

   Yağlıkçılar Caddesi, Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey
8. 08
   Nature

   Find a Garden in the Middle of the City

   Walk up toward Süleymaniye to the Alfred Heilbronn Botanical Garden of Istanbul University, a place you barely notice until you pass through its gate. Founded in 1935 by German botanist Alfred Heilbronn, it is the first botanical garden in Turkey. It holds more than five thousand plant species, and its terraces look out over the Golden Horn. Entry is free, and you leave your ID at the door.

   Alfred Heilbronn Botanical Garden Süleymaniye gate, Istanbul, Turkey

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