“Mecid’s place” (presumably Abdülmecid’s)
Poor old Mecidiyeköy has an unenviable location at the north-easterly end of Şişli‘s Halaskargazi Caddesi where it meets up with the İstanbul Çevre Yolu (ring road) in a mess of ugly towers and flyovers. Yet there’s one historic monument here that makes a short visit well worthwhile and that is what is called the Abide-i Hürriyet (Liberty Monument) if only you can find a way through the network of roads to the small park (open 9am-3pm, closed weekends) that encloses it.
In 1909 a group of rebels made a last stand against the Young Turk revolution here during the course of which 74 men died. Their attempt ended in failure and shortly afterwards Sultan Abdülhamid II was finally overthrown. This uprising became known as the 31 Mart Olayı (31 March Incident) and is the main focus of the park, with the names of the men killed inscribed on the monument. This was designed by Muzaffer Bey (1881-1921) in the shape of a cannon firing into the air and was erected here in 1911.
Along with the monument the enclosure contains funerary monuments to four men, none of whom died in their beds in turbulent times. The most impressive architecturally is the tomb of Mahmud Sevket Paşa (1856-1913) who helped put down the 1909 rebellion but was assassinated in revenge for the death of Nazım Paşa, killed during a coup in 1913 which resulted in Şevket Paşa becoming Grand Vizier. He was killed in his car in Beyazıt Meydanı; the car and other effects are on display in the Military Museum in Harbiye. His tomb is decorated with an almost Mughal level of intricate detail.
Two centotaphs commemorate Talat Paşa (1874-1921) and Enver Paşa (1881-1922), widely regarded as the architects of the Armenian genocide. In 1921 Talat Paşa was assassinated in Berlin by an Armenian student while Enver Paşa during fighting against the Bolsheviks in Tajikistan. Finally, there is a memorial by Kemaleddin Bey to the reformist grand vizier, Midhad Paşa (1822-83), believed to have been assassinated in exile in Taif in Saudi Arabia.
Right beside the park stands the huge building that houses the Cağlayan Adalet Sarayı (Palace of Justice), the largest courthouse on the European side of İstanbul (and claimed to be the largest in Europe). It was built in 2011, replacing an older courthouse in Sultanahmet that was designed by Sedad Hakkı Eldem.
Sleeping
A number of luxury hotels can be found near Şişli-Mecidiyeköy Metro station although this is hardly the most scenic part of the city to stay in.
İstanbul Marriott Hotel Şişli. Tel: 0212-375 0100
Radisson Blu Hotel İstanbul Şişli. Tel: 0212-375 0000
The Marmara Şişli. Tel: 0212-370 9400
Transport info
Mecidiyeköy shares a Metro stop on the M2 Metro line from Taksim Square with Şişli.
Many buses run up and down Halaskargazı Caddesi too.
