Istanbul's beating heart — a 1.4km pedestrian boulevard that runs from Tünel to Taksim, lined with grand 19th-century buildings, hidden churches, smoky meyhanes, and rooftop bars. A nostalgic red tramcar rattles through the crowd. The side streets are where the real magic hides: duck into the passages (pasajlar) for antique shops, bohemian cafes, and live music venues that keep going until dawn.