Istanbul and the Republic: the back story

About Istanbul and the Republic: the back story

By the ULTIMATE Istanbul Editorial Team

Editor-in-Chief: Jai Michael

When the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, Ankara became the capital. Istanbul, the city’s official name from 1930, grew into the largest city in Europe and the Middle East, bridging continents with three Bosphorus bridges and a railway tunnel beneath the strait.

A new republic

The Republic of Turkey was proclaimed on 29 October 1923, with Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as its first president and Ankara as its capital. Istanbul kept its role as the country’s port, commercial centre and cultural capital. The Monument of the Republic in Taksim Square was unveiled in 1928.

Museums and modernity

Topkapı Palace became a museum in 1924, and Hagia Sophia a museum in 1934. Atatürk died in Dolmabahçe Palace on 10 November 1938; the clocks in his room were stopped at 9.05, and every year the country falls silent at that moment. Since 2020 Hagia Sophia has once again served as a mosque, open to visitors outside prayer times.

The first Bosphorus Bridge, opened in 1973, was the first road link between Europe and Asia in the city.

Bridges over the Bosphorus

The Bosphorus Bridge opened in 1973, followed by the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge in 1988 and the Yavuz Sultan Selim Bridge in 2016. In 2013 the Marmaray railway tunnel linked the two shores under the strait, and new metro lines now reach both airports.

A city of culture

Istanbul was a European Capital of Culture in 2010. Its biennial, film and music festivals, the new Istanbul Modern by the Bosphorus and the rebuilt Atatürk Cultural Center in Taksim have made it one of the liveliest cultural cities in the region.

Istanbul today

Today Istanbul is home to well over 15 million people, spread across both continents. Its old city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while its newer districts, from Nişantaşı to Kadıköy, are full of energy, galleries, cafés and nightlife.

Our advice: take the ferry from Eminönü to Kadıköy to feel the scale of the city, visit Dolmabahçe for the story of its last century, and spend an evening on İstiklal Avenue. The modern city is as much a part of Istanbul as its monuments.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Istanbul and the Republic: the back story before you go.