My Mini Gallery of Beyoğlu’s Graffiti Walls

Graffiti in Istanbul has roots far deeper than the bold tags you see in Beyoğlu today. The tradition of leaving one’s mark goes back to Byzantine and Ottoman times, when sailors, travelers, and merchants carved symbols into stone walls around the city.

Modern street art began taking shape in the 1990s as Istanbul opened culturally and politically, with young artists adopting global hip-hop influences while blending them with local identity, humor, and social commentary.

By the 2000s, Istiklal Street and the alleys of Galata and Cihangir became open-air studios, spaces where artists could respond to urban change, political moods, and the energy of a city that never stops reinventing itself.

Today, Beyoğlu’s graffiti scene is a vibrant mix of playful doodles, sharp social critique, and bursts of color that turn everyday streets into living canvases.

Enjoy.