Karabatak is a coffeehouse located in Karaköy, Beyoğlu district of Istanbul.
This 2 floor old building together with the near shops of around 800 sqm were previously abandoned metal workshop and spare part shops for any kind of industry. Starting renovation in 2010 and opening in June 2011, this abandoned metal workshop converted to a coffeehouse with different sections like quite section, group section and regular section.
Karabatak is the symbol bird of Istanbul where you may see many of them over the Bosphorus diving for fish. Karabatak is called as Cormorant bird in English.
- Monday - Friday 08:30 - 22:00
- Saturday - Sunday 09:30 - 22:00
- Outdoor seating 40, Indoor regular section seating 40, Quite section seating 15, Group section seating 15
- No reservations for the regular & quite section
- Not very suitable for the group of people more than 4
- Max. 2 persons @ a time on table in quite section
History of Karakoy Area
Karaköy, the modern name for the ancient Galata, is a commercial neighborhood in the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, Turkey, located at the northern part of the Golden Horn mouth on the European side of Bosphorus.
Karaköy is one of the oldest and most historic districts of the city, and is today an important commercial center and transport hub. The location is connected with the surrounding neighborhoods through streets originating from Karaköy Square. The Galata Bridge links Karaköy to Eminönü in the southwest, Tersane Street to Azapkapı in the west, Voyvoda Street to Şişhane in the northwest, the steeply sloping Yüksek Kaldırım Street to Beyoğlu in the north, Kemeraltı Street and Necatibey Street to Tophane in the northeast. The commercial quarter, which was originally the meeting place for banks and insurance companies in the 19th century, is today also home to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and electronic parts suppliers.
Karaköy which has been a port area since Byzantine times when the north shore of the Golden Horn was a separate settlement, across the Golden Horn from Constantinople. After the re-conquest of the city from the Latin Empire on 1261, the emperor of Byzantium granted to the merchants of Genoa permission to settle and do business at this location as part of a defense pact.
The district developed rapidly, and the Genoeses built sturdy fortifications to protect themselves and their warehouses. Fragments of the Genoese walls are still visible, but the Galata Tower, the highest and strongest point in the walls, is the most visible of all. In the 15th century, Galata looked just like an Italian city.
In 1455, right after the conquest of Constantinople, the district had three categories of inhabitants: temporarily sojourning Genoese, Venetian and Catalan merchants; Genoese of Ottoman citizenship; and Greeks, Armenians and Jews. The composition of the population changed in a short time, and according to a census of 1478, almost half of the district population was Muslim. From 1500 on, more Sephardic Jews settled here, who escaped from the Spanish Inquisition.
Karaköy experienced a second wave of Christian inflow when British, French and Italian forces of the Allies came to Istanbul to fight in the Crimean War (1854–1856). The lack of piers made the unloading of troops and military equipment difficult. In 1879, a French company obtained a concession to build the quay in Karaköy, which was completed in 1891.
In the last decade of the 19th century, Karaköy developed itself to a banking district. The Ottoman Bank established here its headquarter, Italian and Austrian insurance companies opened branch offices.
With the increasing trade activity in the early 20th century, the port was extended with customs buildings, passenger terminals and naval warehouses. Karaköy became also famous for its Greek taverns located along the quays.
After 1917, thousands of White Russians fleeing the Bolshevik Revolution landed here and settled in the area.
