Located on the east bank of the Golden Horn, Beyoglu is the focus of intellectual life in Istanbul, as well as what remains of the capital’s former glamorous lifestyle. In this district, the city is keen to showcase Turkey’s modernity, enabling it to claim its place as a European nation. Here, you will discover the warm atmosphere of the bars where Turkish men and women congregate to sing, dance and drink raki, in an area where mosques give way to palaces, luxury hotels and international names in the fields of fashion and design which proliferate around Istiklal Caddesi, the main pedestrianised street which dissects the entire district.