**Hello friends! In today's post, we will take a walk around the beautiful Taksim! A place where the history of Istanbul takes your breath away and lives on. We will walk around the most famous tourist spots, experience the rich variety of Turkish cuisine and local mentality. If you are lucky enough to be in Istanbul, you simply must take a walk here - in Taksim.**

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On the main square there is a monument "Republic". On it you can notice Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the creator of Turkey as a republic. It was he who created the Turkish language and carried out many reforms for the good of the country. The monument is 11 meters high and weighs 84 tons, which is certainly impressive. On the monument, in addition to Ataturk himself, his associates and comrades are represented. It is also important to note that the monument itself is dedicated to education in the Republic of Turkey. This monument occupies a special place in Istanbul and every tourist is sure to have a photo next to it.

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Opposite the monument is the magnificent mosque of the same name. I have always been inspired by mosques, although I have no relation to Islam. But, seeing this beauty, it is impossible to remain indifferent. I adore this work of art!

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When entering the main street of Taksim, you will always see crowds of people: locals and tourists. The mix of modern shimmering stores and restaurants with historic century-old buildings will surprise every visitor. There is always something to do here: a stroll through the lovely streets, a breakfast with all Turkish traditions or just a coffee break with friends. And of course, Turkish flags, they are everywhere. You can feel the patriotism and strength of the people.

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It is impossible to get lost here, given that there are many nooks and so-called "pasaj" (shopping passages). Here, for example, is one of them. Honestly, I couldn't believe it was just a small space with a couple of cafes. Art is everywhere here. Also, despite the fact that New Year and Christmas are not celebrated here, New Year decorations are still present, which can not but please (especially tourists from Europe).


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It is possible to talk about the rich Turkish cuisine endlessly. There is everything here! Just look at the marvelous figurine made of butter. And this is not an expensive restaurant or elite cafe, it's just a small place that serves fast food. Here they like to impress visitors and lure them in every way they can. You can always see what you will be eating. The counters are peppered with delicious food and make you feel hungry. That's what happened to us and we couldn't manage to resist. We decided to have a bite of the all famous Turkish kebab here. I really appreciate Turkish cuisine not only for its variety, but also for its history. After all, the recipe of some dishes has been kept for centuries and is similar to the Ottoman Empire. To taste dishes that were served to the sultans hundreds of years ago is fantastic!

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Anyone who has ever been to Turkey knows that cats are the locals. They are everywhere here and, by the way, very friendly. They know that they will never be chased away or hurt. On the contrary, people treat cats very well: there is always food and water near stores and cafes. Many places even allow animals to rest. For example, here is a kitty comfortably placed on the window of a clothing store. It is this sign shows all the hospitality and good-naturedness of the Turks, because not every country can afford to boast of such.

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Here we accidentally stumbled upon the local bazaar. It was quite not big (by Turkish standards), but it was colorful and very beautiful. There are traditional dishes, jewelry, spices, fruits, vegetables and more. As I said before, Turks try their best to attract people to their products. That is why the counters and showcases are always neat and tidy, the goods are laid out very aesthetically and there is always a desire to buy something. But I, as a person who spent quite a long time in Turkey, learned to say "no". Otherwise, as it used to be, I would come back with a ton of different things (sometimes, not the most necessary).


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**There's also a huge selection of Turkish spices.**

All hygiene norms are observed here and each spice is in a separate box, and the seller gives out the order himself. Turks believe that spices are natural medicines. Even my mother-in-law is into spices and knows a lot of information about each type of spice. So, for example, when I was sick, she used to make me a tea of cloves, mint and ginger. And it really helped me a lot!

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Turks have a special attitude to pickled vegetables. They also love these products for their healthy properties. And as you can see, there are a huge number of different pickled vegetables. My favorites are pickled cucumbers, peppers, olives and cauliflower. It may sound weird, but I really like it.


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And of course the architecture of Taksim. It's something unreal and magical. I have never seen modern stores and century-old historical buildings so harmoniously combined. Although there is an explanation for this. Turks are also famous for their amazing talents in architecture. All over the world there are many famous buildings designed by Turkish masters. 


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Our walk around Taksim ended in such a marvelous way. I was very impressed, even though I have been here before. This place is special to me, you can see the real Istanbul here. Even this little tourist nostalgic trolley that runs all the way down the main street takes people's attention. Everyone is enthusiastically waiting for it and wants to take photos and videos. I hope you enjoyed today's trip and share your impressions in the comments. I wish you all a good mood. See you again, friends. Bye-bye!

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