When you visit Galata Tower, do not forget to see Bankalar Street nearby! Voyvoda Street with its official name, even though not as much as Istiklal Street, holds some of the most historically and architecturally significant buildings of Beyoglu district.
During the Crusades, when the Latins invaded Byzantine, the Genoese colony, which used to exist in the historical peninsula, gained its freedom completely using the chaos. After eluding the invasion, Byzantine did not let the Genoese live in the historical peninsula and forced them to migrate across the Golden Horn, to Galata, a place yet to be opened to settlement.The Genoese, however, got richer than Byzantine by means of sea trade and and established their autonomous government, building their own city walls and fortresses. During the Ottoman siege in 1453, which would result in the fall of Byzantine, they were neutral, with the hope of gaining concession from II. Mehmed (The Conqueror). Even though he gave them significant privileges, he assigned a voivode and ended the autonomy of the region. (The name Voyvoda Street comes from this.)
As a result of the privileges The Conqueror granted, the settlement rate in the region increased, thus in the 16th century, there had always been a busy trade life around the Voyvoda Street, which is thought to be built around the date Grand Rue de Péra (İstiklal Street) was built. Especially in the 19th century, with the formation of the trade colonies by the exchange-bankers who gained strength as much as to be the financiers of the Ottoman Empire and the palace, the Voyvoda Street and the surrounding streets were full of new offices and buildings.
The Ottoman Bank was established in 1863, on Saint Pierre building, where the house André Chenier (the French poet who was beheaded) was born, used to be. In 1892, Ottoman Bank moved to one of the twin buildings which Alexandre Vallaury, the architect of many buildings on the street, built for it and the Directing of Tobacco (Régie des Tabacs), and this building is now the Ottoman Bank Museum. Currently the Central Bank of Turkey is in this building.The moving of the Ottoman Bank and the Directing attracted many banks such as Deutsche Bank, Hollantse Bank-Uni, Banca Commerciale Italiana to this area. After the Republic, some main buildings of the national banks and insurance companies also were moved there.
Even though the trade centers of the city moved to other places, there are a lot of historically and architecturally important buildings in which banks, hardware stores and importers work close to each other. Another interesting architecture here is the Camondo Stairs which connect Banker Street with Bankalar Street. These stairs were built by Abraham Salomon Camondo, a famous banker of the 19th century, and they are one of the best pieces of Art Nouveau in Istanbul. Also very photogenic: One of the most photographed flight of stairs in the world, perhaps the first, should be in your portfolio!
