Category: Public
Type: Urban Design, Monument
Location: Kocatepe, Tak-ı Zafer Ave. Beyoğlu
Date: 1928-1944
Designer: Pietro Canonica, Henri Prost
Period: Republic of Türkiye
Photos: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı (goturkiye.com)
Taksim Square serves as the symbolic heart of modern Istanbul, evolving from an eighteenth-century water distribution site into a monumental civic space through successive urban transformations. At its center stands the Republic Monument, unveiled in 1928 and designed by Italian sculptor Pietro Canonica; its bronze figures and circular pedestal commemorate the Turkish War of Independence and the subsequent foundation of the Republic, blending traditional commemorative aesthetics with European sculptural techniques. Adjacent to this ceremonial core is Gezi Park, an integral part of Henri Prost’s 1930s master plan that replaced the late Ottoman-era Topçu Kışlası with a modernist green corridor. This ensemble of open space, political sculpture, and landscape design represents a pivotal shift in the city’s identity, moving away from the imperial past toward a planned urbanism that prioritizes public gathering and secular national symbolism.
