Cicek Pasaji opened in 1876 as the Cite de Pera, an arcade of apartments and shops modelled on the covered passages of Paris. After the revolution of 1917 the Russian families who had fled to Istanbul began selling flowers under its glass roof, and the Turkish name stuck.
Today the arcade is lined with meyhanes. Marble tables, mirrored walls and a high vaulted ceiling make it one of the more theatrical places in Beyoglu to eat, and the fasil musicians moving between tables are part of the arrangement rather than an added extra.
It is busiest after nine in the evening. From The Soul Hotel the walk takes about four minutes, straight up to Istiklal and left.
Category:
History