Solo Friday Evening: Art in Tophane

1. 01
   History

   Look for the Admiral by the Water

   Start at Kılıç Ali Paşa Complex, completed by Mimar Sinan in 1580, with its hammam finished in 1583. Its patron, Kılıç Ali Paşa, was born in Calabria as Giovan Dionigi Galeni, was captured, converted to Islam, rose through naval ranks, and commanded the only fleet to escape the coalition navy after the 1571 Battle of Lepanto.

   Kılıç Ali Paşa Külliyesi, Istanbul, Turkey
2. 02
   Art

   Visit Until Eight on Friday Evening

   Continue to Istanbul Modern, whose new Renzo Piano–designed building opened on 4 May 2023 as the architect’s first project in Turkey. Its façade uses three-dimensional aluminum panels that change color with the sun, while the transparent ground floor keeps the building connected to the waterfront. Below, there is a 156-seat auditorium.

   Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey
3. 03
   Photography

   Measure Where the Shoreline Went

   After the museum, head down to the Galataport waterfront. This quay stands over the water where Sinan’s complex once met the sea: the land between was reclaimed, pushing the shoreline hundreds of meters outward. Across the water is the silhouette of the Historic Peninsula, while the Galata slope rises to your right; evening light reaches both at once.

   Galataport waterfront near Istanbul Modern, Istanbul, Turkey
4. 04
   Food

   Learn Why Baklava Came to Karaköy

   Finish at Karaköy Güllüoğlu. The roots of this baklava maker go back to a bakery founded in Gaziantep in 1820. The move into Istanbul did not begin with a romantic story, but with a price difference: relatives reported that baklava sold for twice the Gaziantep price in Istanbul. The shop opened in Karaköy on 7 November 1949.

   Karaköy Güllüoğlu, Istanbul, Turkey

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