I have traveled to Istanbul, Turkey a few times, and one of my favorite places to visit is always Taksim (Maydan) Square. I would love to share my experience with you.
When I go to Taksim, I always see diverse people who come from different parts of the world to meet and share their culture. This is what makes this place so different for me and other people who like to meet other nationalities, rather than just be in a place that caters to tourists.
Every year around 10 million tourists come to Taksim specifically to meet people from other countries and make new friendships. There are cafes in Taksim just for these meetings.
Taksim Square was established at the end of the 1800s. In Arabic, the word "Taksim" means “division,” because it represents the center point for water lines between northern Istanbul and other parts of the city.
In the 2000s, they designed this square as the center point of the city, for unity, to prove wrong those who claimed that Turkish people are racist.
Handa Bouns a young tourist said: "I am from India and I always heard my friends saying that Turkish people are very racist to other nationalities. But this is my 3rd time in Turkey and I never experienced such a thing — especially in Taksim, where all nationalities are welcomed to spend some good time together."
Mehmed Bulut the former manager of Taksim Square stated: "The idea of this place is to bring all the people together in one place where they can find peace and share cultures with Turkish people."
"All cafes and restaurants in Taksim are open to serve the purpose of this place, which is providing peace and a good time for those who visit us, so they will have a good picture about us," Bulut said.
If you want to make friendships with other nationalities or learn about other cultures, Taksim Square is the place for a memorable experience.
