Turkey’s largest city, Istanbul, is bustling with activity all year round, but it really comes to life on New Year’s Eve! Every venue in the city wants to outdo the other, so you’re guaranteed to find somewhere fun and vibrant to see in the New Year with a bang!
If you’re planning on spending New Year’s Eve in Turkey’s largest metropolitan city this year then here’s what you can expect…
The best place for the countdown….
Taksim Square and Istiklal Street in the city centre will be packed full of thousands of people, both locals and tourists, and will be full of the sounds of blaring horns from the hundreds of vehicles traversing Istanbul’s streets. If you enjoy the atmosphere of a large crowd as the seconds tick down to midnight then this is the place to be! Everyone will be in good spirits as the NYE countdown reaches its dramatic conclusion at midnight and the sky is filled with fireworks being launched all over the city.
The best place to see the fireworks…
If New Year’s Eve is all about the fireworks for you then the Faith district is the best place to be. Until the Ottoman conquest the area now known as the Faith district was actually the whole city of Istanbul, which stood opposite the Genoese citadel of Galata. The Genoese fortifications were largely demolished in the 19th century, leaving just the Galata Tower which is now part of the Beyo?lu district – Istanbul’s commercial and entertainment hub. This area is now packed with bars, pubs, cafes, and restaurants and is a great place to watch the fireworks from on NYE.
