Çiçek Pasajı

Çiçek Pasajı (Turkish: Flower Passage), originally called the Cité de Péra, is a famous historic passage (galleria or arcade) on İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey.

A covered arcade with rows of historic cafes, winehouses and restaurants, it connects İstiklal Avenue with Sahne Street and has a side entrance opening onto the Balık Pazarı (Fish Market).

The site of Çiçek Pasajı was originally occupied by the Naum Theatre, which was severely damaged by the Fire of Pera in 1870.

[1][2][3][4] The theatre was frequently visited by Sultans Abdülaziz and Abdülhamid II, and hosted Giuseppe Verdi's opera Il Trovatore before the opera houses of Paris.

[4] After the fire of 1870, the theatre was purchased by Ottoman Greek banker Hristaki Zoğrafos Efendi, and in 1876 architect Kleanthis Zannos designed the current building, which was called Cité de Péra or Hristaki Pasajı (Hristaki Passage) in its early years.