Among the 5,000 French words absorbed into Ottoman Turkish before 1914, one of the most recognisable is pasaj. Half a century after their emergence in Paris, these covered arcades flourished in Istanbul, drawing on French, Italian, and Ottoman architectural styles. Straddling the boundary between seedy and stunning, the city’s arcades offer a meze of experience to the modern-day flâneur, in contrast to souks where whole sections are devoted to one product, say leather, gold or precious stones. However, the recent take over of Anadolu Pasajı by a chain store highlights the vulnerability of these treasure troves to urban change. Go soon to see them while they still stand.

Çiçek Pasajı

Greek banker Hristaki Zografos Efendi built this most famous of Beyoğlu arcades on the site of the Naum Theatre, which was destroyed by fire in 1870. The original name, Cité de Pera, is still visible between the ornate caryatids and clock face above the entrance. The word çiçek, Turkish for flower, derives from the bouquets once sold there by White Russian exiles. Since its renovation in 1988, the grand interior has been lined with meyhanes (traditional bar/restaurants offering the quintessential trio of meze, fish, and rakı. Ceneviz Meyhanesi is recommended for a night of aniseed-flavoured abandon.
• İstiklal Caddesi No 80

Hazzopulo Pasajı

In contrast to a typical Parisian passage, this arcade is covered with hanging vines and tree branches rather than glass. Its cobbled floor runs from İstiklal Caddesi to Meşrutiyet Caddesi, in the Beyoğlu district, and its central courtyard holds a hubbub of tea, waterpipes and backgammon. The arcade’s name comes from the Greek Hacopulo banking family, who opened the arcade in 1871, and it was later frequented by Ottoman writer Ahmet Mithat Efendi and the Young Turks. When you’ve finished browsing the bargain jewellery, secondhand books and Istanbul-themed T-shirts, sit down for an authentic and reasonably priced taste of diyarbakır (liver kebab) at Yirmibir Kebap.
• İstiklal Caddesi No 116

Aslıhan Pasajı

If your senses tingle at the scent of vintage pages, then this arcade will be a labyrinth of delight. Also known as Sahaflar Çarsısı (secondhand bookshops bazaar), Aslıhan Pasajı offers two floors of used books, magazines, comics, and posters. Dozens of shops on each floor contain an inexhaustible library, covering everything from Anatolian mythology to pulp fiction and contemporary art. Gezegen Sahaf, on the top floor, is the largest of these shops, with an emphasis on art history and antique books.
• Meşrutiyet Caddesi No 10

Atlas Pasajı

Just like modern malls, many of these arcades were designed to offer entertainment as well as shopping. Atlas Pasajı has been a home to Atlas Cinema and the Küçük Sahne state theatre since 1948 – find these next to Sefahathane cafe and bar, whose arcade tables are a cosier alternative to true outdoor drinking. Just like Çiçek Pasajı, this arcade’s original building was destroyed in the fire of 1870, after which the ground floor became a stable for horse dealers. Past the bar and cinema you will find a jumble of shops for women’s fashion, antiques, and novelty souvenirs.
• İstiklal Caddesi No 131

Fransız Geçidi

Standing by the Karaköy shore, Fransız Geçidi reflects the strong presence of European traders at this port throughout the Ottoman era. Built in 1860, the cross-shaped arcade had fallen into disrepair before being restored to its neoclassical glory in 1992. The lower floors are filled with upscale cafes and restaurants, including Ops Passage, owned by former sea captain Yasin Kalender. The Turkish breakfast, fresh seafood and kadayıf dessert (similar to baklava) are not to be passed by. Meanwhile, Kağıthane’s reproductions of vintage Turkish school notebooks make excellent gifts.
• Mumhane Caddesi, opposite the Turkish Orthodox Church; second entrance on Kemankeş Caddesi

Avrupa Pasajı

Around the corner from İstiklal Caddesi, one of Istanbul’s famous avenues, the entrance to this glass-covered arcade is easily missed. But it’s worth finding Avrupa Pasajı for its architecture alone, and also the engrossing displays of antiques, textiles, ceramics, and lamps. The arcade was previously called Aynalı Pasaj (mirrored arcade) after the ground floor’s 22 mirrors – which also fell victim to the great fire of 1870. A row of classical figures still adorns the arcade’s sculpted walls, which stretch upwards to an arched glass ceiling. If you feel your life would be more complete with a meerschaum pipe or an Ottoman dagger, then Avrupa Pasajı is the place for you.
• Meşrutiyet Caddesi No 8

Suriye pasajı

This neoclassical pasaj was commissioned by a relative of the Syrian Hasan Halbuni Paşa, the first Muslim to head the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. Impressive wrought iron doors flank the entrance, leading to an ornate arcade crossed by four bridges. A traditional teashop spreads its tables here while the Coop live music bar attracts an alternative crowd at the arcade’s far end. Vintage-lovers should dive into By Retro, an underground maze of eccentric fashion that has provided costumes for Turkish films and television shows
• İstiklal Caddesi No 166

Tokatlıyan Pasajı

Under the ownership of the Armenian Mıgırdiç Tokatlıyan, the Hotel M Tokatlıyan was a fixture in the high-class social life of Pera, the historic Istanbul quarter now known as Beyoğlu. Notable patrons included Leon Trotsky and Mustafa Kemal, but by the 1950s the building had changed hands and fallen into disrepair, at which point a local Armenian church bought the property. Calls to preserve the hotel as a museum were ignored, and small shops soon filled the space. A visit to Tokatlıyan Pasajı is an eerie exercise in memory – catch melancholy glimpses of Pera’s fantastic past as you stroll by the barbers, teashops, and printing presses.
• İstiklal Caddesi No 76

Akmar Pasajı

Found in the Asian neighbourhood of Kadıköy, Akmar Pasajı entered popular parlance as “the satanist arcade” after 21-year-old Şehriban Coşkunfırat was ritually killed by three friends in 1999 and a police raid on the arcade discovered Satanist literature, axes and crosses, and 15 people were remanded in custody. Shops selling heavy metal LPs, CDs, tapes and T-shirts still line the arcade today, though you will also find more innocent purveyors of precious stones, crystals and secondhand books – the most reputable of these is Nadir Kitabevi.
• Mühürdar Caddesi No 70

Aznavur Pasajı

This arcade began life in 1900 as a block of luxury apartments with a private courtyard, before being opened at both ends to allow pedestrians in. Eminent Armenian architect Hovsep Aznavur put his name to the building, also designing the striking Mısır Apartmanı on İstiklal Caddesi and several of Istanbul’s theatres, hans and churches. Today, Aznavur Pasajı is a prime spot to spend an hour or two surrounded by colourful tights, outlandish underwear, vampy boots and headgear of all kinds. The arcade’s variety of inexpensive jewellery and evil-eye baubles is also a sight to behold.
• İstiklal Caddesi No 108