Galata, Historical neighborhood in Beyoğlu, Turkey.
Galata is a neighborhood in Beyoğlu on the northern shore of the Golden Horn in Turkey. The narrow streets climb up and down between multi-story stone houses, often with small balconies and wooden shutters on the windows.
Genoese merchants settled here in the 13th century and built walls and a tall tower. After the Ottoman conquest in 1453, the area remained a district for traders and craftsmen from different parts of the empire.
The name comes from the Greek word for milk, which traders once used to describe the area. Today, traces of different communities show in small workshops and cafés tucked into the ground floors of old residential buildings.
Go early in the morning or late afternoon when fewer visitors are around and the narrow streets are easier to explore. Wear comfortable shoes, as many paths are cobblestone and can become slippery.
A curved staircase in Art Nouveau style leads down between two parallel streets and bears the name of a well-known banking family. The steps were built to their design in the 1870s to ease the walk for residents down to the waterfront street.
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