Antique Shops of Çukurcuma

Çukurcuma is Istanbul's favorite antique shopping area and is located in Beyoğlu district.

You can get to Çukurcuma by walking northeast to Istiklal Street. Once you get to Galatasaray Square, the street turns left in front of the Galatasaray Turkish bath and the Greek Consulate, followed by Faik Paşa Street on the right.​

Çukurcuma hosts over 150 antique shops, as well as a touristic Turkish bath. The area has long been famous for its collections of antiques. Antique shops and second-hand stores are found at either end of the main street. You can find vintage toys, Ottoman-style jewelry, and accessories of all kinds, as well as rare books.

Some restaurants in the area offer some of the best examples of Turkish and world cuisine.

One of the most interesting places in Çukurcuma is the Museum of Innocence (Masumiyet Müzesi). You can get to the museum by turning right onto Çukurcuma Street, keeping the mosque on your left, and continue downhill through the antique shops in the district.

 The museum is based on Nobel prize-winning author Orhan Pamuk’s novel, Museum of Innocence. The physical museum is home to artifacts from this novel. The museum presents clothes and objects used by fictional characters of the novel, all carefully arranged in boxes and cabinets.

Çukurcuma offers an exciting mixture of old and modern, history and contemporary. If you want to return from Istanbul with truly memorable souvenirs with a true story behind them, Çukurcuma is your go-to place.