Huseyin Cetinel, a retired forestry engineer, originally painted a rainbow on the Salıpazarı ramp connecting the Fındıklı/Karaköy and Cihangir neighborhoods in 2013.

He spent a week painting the rainbow with his son-in-law.

Days later, the staircase was painted grey,[1] prompting activists to re-paint the rainbow there as well as others throughout the city.

[2][3] Activism was not the artist's intent,[4][5] but the steps became popular with the LGBT community and tourists.

The staircase was destroyed as part of a demolition project in 2015,[6][7] and repainted.