"Çiçek Pasaji...
...is a famous historic passage (galleria or arcade) on Istiklal Avenue in the Beyoglu district of Istanbul, Turkey. It connects Istiklal Avenue with Sahne Street.
History
Opened in 1876, Çiçek Pasaji is a covered arcade with rows of historic cafes, winehouses and restaurants.
The site of Çiçek Pasaji was originally occupied by the Naum Theatre, which was severely damaged by the Fire of Pera in 1870. The theatre was frequently visited by Sultans Abdülaziz and Abdülhamid II, and hosted Giuseppe Verdi's play Il Trovatore before the opera houses of Paris.
After the fire of 1870, the theatre was purchased by the local Greek banker Hristaki Zografos Efendi, and architect Kleanthis Zannos designed the current building, which was called Cité de Péra or Hristaki Pasaji in its early years. Yorgo'nun Meyhanesi (Yorgo's Winehouse) was the first winehouse to be opened in the passage. In 1908 the Ottoman Grand Vizier Sait Pasa purchased the building, and it became known as the Sait Pasa Passage.
Following the Russian Revolution of 1917, many impoverished noble Russian women, including a Baroness, sold flowers here. By the 1940s the building was mostly occupied by flower shops, hence the present Turkish name Çiçek Pasaji (Flower Passage).
After the restoration of the building in 1988, it was reopened as a galleria of pubs and restaurants.
The most recent restoration was made in December 2005."
Source: (
visit link)