Cihangir
Cihangir is an affluent neighbourhood in the municipality and district of Beyoğlu, Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its population is 3,739 (2022). It is located between Taksim Square and Kabataş. It has many narrow streets, two parks, and many street cafes especially in and around Akarsu Yokuşu Sokağı.
Cihangir | |
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Neighbourhood | |
Cihangir Location in Turkey Cihangir Cihangir (Istanbul) | |
Coordinates: 41°01′59″N 28°59′07″E | |
Country | Turkey |
Province | Istanbul |
District | Beyoğlu |
Government | |
• Muhtar | Adnan Bal |
Population (2022) | 3,739 |
Time zone | UTC+3 (TRT) |
The neighbourhood has a bohemian reputation. It is known for its artists, writers, actors, and expatriates – as well as its large army of street cats. It was also a stronghold for protesters during the Gezi Park protests.
Cihangir was named after Şehzade Cihangir whose heartbroken father, Suleiman the Magnificent, had Mimar Sinan build a mosque overlooking the Bosphorus to commemorate his death. The name means "conqueror" in Turkish and, in turn, comes from the Persian compound word jahan + gir (جهانگیر), meaning "conqueror of the world". Today, the Cihangir Mosque, originally built in 1559 but reconstructed in 1889, offers views across the Bosphorus to Sarayburnu.
In 2012, British newspaper The Guardian included Cihangir and neighbouring Çukurcuma in the list of the five best places in the world to live, next to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in Spain; the district of Sankt Pauli, in Hamburg, the north coast of Maui, in Hawaii and Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon.
Ece Temelkuran wrote that this neighbourhood is like Soho, Manhattan.