Karakoy, Karai Village

Karakoy is one of the oldest and historical parts of the city on the European side, facing Eminonu. The name Karakoy comes from a Jewish Turkish community called Karai, Karaim or Karay Turks who settled around the area after the conquest of Constantinople. The name was mutated and is used as Karakoy today. There is still a Karay sinagog and cemetery in Karakoy.

Karakoy was called Galata (also used today) and has been a very important harbour and trade center since the ancient times. Genoa, Venice and Catalan states were given the permission to trade during the Eastern Rome and Ottoman Empire periods, therefore the town looked like a European city for centuries. Karaköy is still a very important harbour for the cruise ships running between the Black Sea and Mediterrenen Sea.

Karakoy today is a very cosmopolite area with all the German, Greek, French, Austrian and Italian schools, churches, synagogues, mosques and the monuments made by European communities.

You can have a lovely dinner in one of the restaurants at the Galata Bridge. Walk up the Camondo stairs (in baroque style) to the upper streets that were made by a banker called Abraham Camondo. Take your camera with you and go to Galata Tower where Hezarfen Ahmet Celebi, the first person to attempt to fly, jumped off with the wings he made. Take the old metro from Tunel to Taksim. Visit the İstanbul Modern Museum, Turkey Hebrew Museum, Ottoman Bank Museum.

Photo credit: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/6846595

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