Galata, Pera, Beyoğlu: A Biography

Galata street by street, Pera step by step, Beyoğlu inch by inch... For centuries, streets, neighborhoods, inns, and passages that embrace different cultures and identities, changing and transforming a little more each day but never losing their valuable essence: An extraordinary "biography" from the pens of John Freely and Brendan Freely...

Books about Istanbul always focus on the historical peninsula. But Galata, Pera, Beyoğlu: A Biography, focuses on the Beyoğlu district across from the Constantinople peninsula. It traces the development and social history of the region, from the first settlements in the Golden Horn to the latest settlements around Taksim, not only through its architecture but also by examining all its inhabitants, from its murderers to its mafia, from its prostitutes to its bankers, from its diplomats to its high society, street by street.