An image of the Karaköy square of Galata, early 20th century, whose international and Levantine mixture is indicated by the variety of flags on display on the occasion of the celebrations connected with the new 1908 constitution. The Karaköy police station is visible on the right, Galata tower is visible in the distance and the road leading up to Pera / Beyoğlu, Yüksek Kaldırım.

On the right the former Karaköy Aziziye Karakol [police station], built by the Ottoman Palace architect during the reign of Abdülhamid II, Raimondo D’Aronco, originally from Italy. He was commissioned to build many civil and institutional buildings, all in the neo-classical style of the time. This highly ornate police station had a lot of leaf motifs (thus commonly known as Süslü - decorated - Karakol) and its purpose was to monitor the significant human traffic across the Galata bridge. When in 1894 it suffered damage in an earthquake, it was repaired by the same architect. The building was later demolished and in its place in 1910 was erected the state maritime lines offices (Seyrüsefain İdaresi), which was in turn also later demolished. - information courtesy of Osman Öndeş.

The still functioning Sankt Georg Austrian hospital at Galata, near the Austrian school - below old postcard view

Postcard views of Galata, the seafront.

The Karaköy Mosque near the entrance to Galata Bridge, was also the work of the Ottoman Palace architect Raimondo d’Aranco who was in Turkey between 1893-1909, who was commissioned by the Sultan to replace an earlier small mosque in this location. Like many of his other works, it carries Art Nouveau elements. In 1958 the road was widened and this together a lot of other buildings of note were destroyed in the process. There are current plans to rebuild this mosque in replica in 2014-15.

Rue Voyvoda where the many of the bankers had their offices, such as this Max Fruchtermann’s view of the central branch of the Deutsche Orient Bank in 1900. The last manager of the Deutche Orient Bank was Hans Von Aulock (1906-1981) coming to Istanbul in 1940, but not returning to Germany when the bank ceased operations for good in 1944. He spent the rest of his life in Turkey developing extensive archaeological, literary and numismatic collections.

Another turn of the century tinted postcard view of Galata looking up the main throughfare to Pera, Yüksek-kaldırım [high pavement].

The same thoroughfare in 1932.

A late 19th century view of the Galata tower, showing the pairs of walls to which it was formerly connected

Street scene from 1929 at the base of the Galata Tower.

Galata bridge in 1911, viewed from the opposite shore

The bridge and the old town viewed from the top of Galata tower, c. 1890

The roof-top Russian churches of Galata

Selection of present-day images of this neighbourhood | archive images of the nearby quarter of Taxim | Cihangir | Pera