Beyazit Square (also known as Freedom Square) is the busy central plaza of Istanbul’s historic Fatih neighborhood. The square occupies the site of the 4th-century Forum of Theodosius, which was the civic center of Constantinople built by Constantine the Great. Today Beyazit Square is a hive of activity, with people visiting landmarks, attending demonstrations and browsing the stalls of street vendors.
The ornate main gateway to the campus of the University of Istanbul stands proudly over the square’s northern side. Look for the 279-feet (85-meter) tall Beyazit Tower, which rises above the campus from one of the seven hills of Constantinople. Watch as students come and go from the university and as children chase pigeons across the paved plaza. Historically this is a location for political rallies and witnessed major events such as the 20 Hunchakian gallows of 1915.
Turn your attention to the 500-year-old Beyazit Mosque, the oldest mosque in the city that retains its original form. This revered religious monument was built using materials recovered from Byzantine churches. Admire the colonnade of the courtyard and the intricate stained-glass windows. See the tombs of Ottoman Sultan Beyazit II and notable statesman Mustafa Resid Pasha.
Areas of the mosque complex have been turned into public buildings. Learn about the importance of Turkish baths to the Ottomans at the Turkish Hamam Culture Museum, housed inside the old bathhouse. The graceful almshouse building is now the Beyazit State Library.
Street vendors set up on the lanes that surround the mosque. Peruse their stalls for antiques, handcrafts, religious paraphernalia and secondhand books. Make your way to the nearby Grand Bazaar for more shopping. Istanbul’s biggest market is a labyrinth of thousands of ceramics, confections, jewelry, spice and textile shops.
Beyazit Square is easy to reach by riding the city’s public buses and trams. Sirkeci train station is a 20-minute walk away. Other attractions located in the Faith district are the Blue Mosque and Nuruosmaniye Mosque.
