Bagdat Street

A Walk To Remember

Bagdat Street located on the Asian side of Istanbul is a noteworthy part of the city, which brings so much life to the city. The street, also known as Bagdat Caddesi, is an area that is an upper class residential area. Bagdat Street is well known for its posh and glamorous shops, which highlight local and international fashion brands. Bagdat Street is the home to a number of shopping malls, department stores, both local and international gourmet and cuisine restaurants. Something to suit all taste buds! There are also some cafes and pubs for those who like to keep things casual and easy going. Most of the stores that stretch out onto Bagdat Street are open almost on a daily basis, and this gives the visitors and happy shoppers a chance to widen their shopping options. These shops and stores are open even on a Sunday afternoon when most outlets are closed for the day. Bagdat Street stretches out on a 6km stretch and is almost parallel with the coastline of the Sea of Marmara. There is easy access to transportation after spending even a short time paving around the street.

Bagdat Street is located in Maltepe, and the name “Bagdat” literally comes from the word “Baghdad”. The avenue has a one-way traffic street and it can be seen as the counterpart of Istiklal Avenue, which is on the European side when it comes to its importance and high standards. As the main street in an upper-scale residential area, the avenue is always busy and full of life even on a weekday, although the weekend definitely stands out as being the most glamorous and energy filled atmosphere. Despite being urban and modern, the avenue has old plane trees, which flank the elegant shops, which offer the best world famous brands, alongside some of the best restaurants, which serve the best dishes. The avenue also has the best luxury car dealers and bank agencies. The avenue is also recognized as a large open-air shopping mall, and so bargains and negotiations are just the cherry on top for those who love to shop until they literally drop.

Young people use Bagdat Street as a hang out spot as they meet up over the weekend for social events and to spend time together. There is of course the case of traffic congestion but that is only reasonable after considering how busy Bagdat Street is on a daily basis. A former cultural habit of Bagdat Street is street racing, which was started in the 1960’s. Young wealthy men raced their fancy imported muscular cars and showed off their high-end lives that most people can only admire from a distance. This is no longer the case as there were a number of fatal accidents and there was now intense police patrol. Transportation is not an issue in the Bagdat area as there is a variety of transportation alternatives other than buses and taxes. A regional rail runs just north of the avenue and can transport you from one point in the district to another. There is also the traditional commuter ferry as a mode of transport in the area and it is used to connect with the European side of the city and the Princes’ Islands.

Bagdat Street started as a road connection, which connected Constantinople with Anatolia during the Byzantine and the Ottoman periods. The road was used for trade and military purposes, and it was named after Baghdad after the city was recaptured by Sultan Murad IV in 1638. During the Ottoman era, fountains and praying places were built along the road for travelers arriving or departing from the city. Later on, when Sultan Abdul Hamid II was in power, some Pashas, high officials and wealthy traders bought land plots around the avenue in order to stay close to the palace. On these plots, luxurious wooden chalet mansions were constructed, and some are still standing today. Before the start of World War I, the avenue was paved with cobblestone, and carriages were then used for transportation. Up until the 1960’s, the area around the avenue was used as a summer resort by the city’s wealthy families. These low-rise summerhouses were brought down in exchange of high-rise condos after the opening of the Bosphorus Bridge.

Today, Bagdat Street is popularly used for the cultural parade which takes place on the evening of the Republican Day which is on the 29^th of October annually .The avenue is basically the celebration center on the Asian side of Istanbul as people gather there to celebrate a sport event or a national holiday. A lot of singing, dancing, driving and sounding of car horns takes place. Interestingly, there are countries that have an avenue with the same name, and these include Egypt and Singapore.