Culture

This landmark on Taksim Square has been loved, loathed, politicised and fought over across its 88-year history but its recent reboot is stunning. The original brutalist building was pulled down in 2018 and has been replaced with a glass-fronted modernist structure that opened in 2021. Inside the cavernous entrance lobby, a red- tiled dome houses the 2,040-seat opera salon, a 781-seat theatre and music spaces that host nightly performances by local and international artists. The gallery has some of the best views of the baffling hotchpotch of Taksim: you won’t miss the colossal new mosque but take a peep at the older church domes behind it. akmistanbul.gov.tr

The Modern’s Renzo Piano-designed home was worth the wait: it makes the most of its waterfront location with a glass frontage looking out onto the Bosphorus. It’s easy to get lost in one of the world’s greatest urban views but try to turn your back on the vista to see what’s on offer inside. The regularly rotating exhibitions span photography, architecture and fine art, and there are cinema and music spaces too. The museum houses a permanent collection of Turkish-linked artists (including a neon sign by Tracey Emin, whose father was Turkish Cypriot), and hosts regular screenings, events and workshops.
istanbulmodern.org

An abandoned gasworks made an unpromising prospect for an arts centre: the complex comprised 22 separate production machines, storage units and service buildings. But an inventive restoration by the city council has turned Gazhane into a much-loved multi-use space that includes a museum of caricature and humour, a theatre, exhibition spaces and a climate museum. The gallery kickstarted a revival of the local area when it opened in 2021; check out the nearby vintage stores and bakeries.
Kurbagalıdere Cd, No 125 Hasanpasa