“Tunnel”
Technically it may be the name given to the 573-metre-long funicular that runs uphill to İstiklal Caddesi from Karaköy but Tünel is also the name used to describe the trendy area at the top of the funicular too.
Built between 1871 and 1874 by the French engineer Eugene Henri Gavrand, the Tünel made it quicker and easier for people to get from their homes up in Pera to their work down in Karaköy. It is the world’s third oldest underground railway after the London and New York undergrounds although it makes only one stop. In 2008 the old carriages were scrapped in favour of brand new ones.
Immediately above the Tünel the old Metrohan is being restored to serve as a cultural and music venue which is already in operation even while the work continues (2024). It was built between 1912 and 1914 and contains some interesting decorative details.
If you come out of the Tünel and look across the road and slightly to the left you will be able to see the brick chimney of the old steam works that used to power the funicular before it was electrified in 1970. Then look down from behind the railings and you’ll be able to see Şişhane and the back of the Beyoğlu Municipality building built between 1879 and 1883 by the Italian architect, Giovanni Battista Barborini. It was the first municipal building in the city. It’s officially called the Altıncı (6th) Daire-i Belediyye in accordance with the numbering system for Parisian municipalities.
Immediately across the road from the Tünel entrance is the elegant Tünel Geçidi (Tünel Passage) used to be filled with a variety of cafes, restaurants and antiques shops. Much of it is now occupied by a branch of Midpoint.
Transport info
The Tünel’s upper station is at the southern end of İstiklal Caddesi, close to the last stop of the nostalgic tram and the Şişhane Metro station.
Nearby areas
