Maslak is a northern business district on the European side of Istanbul whose soaring skyscrapers have created a mini New York skyline, visited for the most part by bankers and business travellers even though it is also home to a fine private art collection and to a campus of İstanbul Technical University (İTU).
The Elgiz Museum of Contemporary Art (closed Sundays and Mondays, admission free) is one of İstanbul’s finest galleries showing off the collection of Sevda and Can Elgiz in a rotating selection of works not just by Turkish artists but also by the stars of the international art scene, including the likes of Tracey Emin, Gilbert and George, and Cindy Sherman. The terrace provides a large space for contemporary sculpture exhibitions too.
Just a short drive out of Maslak on the road to Sarıyer, a collection of 19th-century imperial pavilions (closed Mondays, admission TL130) in pleasant gardens come as something of a surprise. They were built by Sultan Abdülaziz as a gift for his nephew, Abdülhamid, who lived here with his family for many years. The grounds offer an unexpectedly serene and inviting oasis just a hop and a skip away from Maslak’s full-on business buzz. In the Limonluk were grown lemons that had been imported specially from Naples.
The Hümayun Kasrı (Imperial Pavilion) contains stair-rails and mirror frames made by Abdülhamid after he became sultan – he was a keen carpenter whose work is also on display in the museum at Yıldız.
Transport info
You can get to Maslak by Metro using either the İTÜ-Ayazağa or Atatürk Oto Sanayı stations. Take a Sarıyer bus from İTÜ-Ayazağa to get to the Maslak pavilions.
