Cicek Passaji – a Flower Passage which sells no flowers

When I travel to a new destination, I approach it in two ways:  on the one hand I make myself familiar with what it is all about  and what I want to see. But not too much, because  what for me is the essence of travel is to be surprised by unexpected places, names and sights which beckon to be explored.

That’s what happened to me when I heard about the Flower Passage (map) in Istanbul’s Beyoglu district. It sounded colourful, fragrant, vibrant  and plain nice, so off I went without consulting my guide book.

The flower passage is all of the above, sans the scent – of flowers that is.

Flower Passage in Beyoglu

How the passage came by its name

The L-shaped building which houses the Flower Passage has, like many places in Istanbul, a dramatic and fascinating history.  Nothing in this city is ever dull.

In the 1870, it was the site of the famous Naum Theatre which like many structures in Istanbul well into the 20^th century, was built of wood. Istanbul has seen its share of devastating  fires and the Naum Theatre fell victim to one of them.

In its place the new stone building was erected which was then called Cita de Pera and housed elegant shops on the ground floor and luxurious and very expensive apartments on top. Beyoglu and Pera were the districts  where, at the time, many foreigners and diplomats lived and it was very upscale.

Stories and legends surround the name of the Flower Passage.  Some report, that Cita de Pera held flower stalls next to the restaurants, others  contend  that it were in fact émigré Russian noble women who tried to eek out a living by selling flowers in the Cita de Pera. Whatever the true history, the name stuck to this day.

In 1940, beer houses and taverns opened in Cita de Pera and the ambiance changed  completely. It became a bohemian district which attracted sailors, pimps, musicians in short, a colourful clientele to put it mildly.

The Flower Passage fell into neglect and, as befitted its dramatic past, in 1978 suddenly collapsed. It remained in this state until in 1988 and through the initiative of The Flower Passage Preservation and Beautification Society, it was restored to its former glory.

The Flower Passage is a paradise for Art Deco enthusiasts and luckily several windows and decorations have survived the collapse.

You enter the passage and are greeted by hanging baskets full of flowers (yes, there are still flowers but not for sale), the finest examples of art deco windows and ceilings and enhanced sepia photographs along the upper floor.

Art Deco window in Flower Passage

In fact you are hard pressed to decide if you should look up or down, because the ground  floor houses, yet again, fabulous fish restaurants with mouth watering displays as well as quaint pubs and cafes.

You best reach the Flower Passage by metro(M1)  to Taksim Square and walk from there. Cicek Pasaji is indicated.

Istanbul’s oldest streetcar

Outside, in Galatasaray another delight awaits:  Istanbul’s oldest streetcar still in operation. It has only two cars, painted in the original white and red and the wooden seats and floors of 1913 when it first started to operate and to connect Beyoglu and Sisli.

Istanbul's oldest streetcar

Today, the street car runs to Taksim tunnel, so, hop on and take a ride after you have had you fill of art deco wonders and Turkish fish delicacies.

Photographs are authors own.