Taksim Square.. the beating heart of Istanbul

<p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr">Arabiaweather.com - Ismail Ghasemi - <strong>Taksim Square in Istanbul</strong> is one of the most famous squares in the world, not only because of the protests it witnessed by environmental activists who opposed the cutting of its trees years ago, but because it is one of the main destinations for visitors to the city.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> And Taksim Square is famous not without reason, but because it is one of the most beautiful squares, which undoubtedly made it one of the most crowded tourist places as well, as it is visited by thousands of local residents and tourists every day.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The square, which is also known as Taksim Square, is distinguished for having become a major tourist and entertainment area, as it is one of the squares with <a href="http://sa.arabiaweather.com/content/%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1... long history in Turkey</a> .</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> It was named &quot;Taksim Square&quot; by this name by Sultan Mahmud I, as it was a point for collecting water and branching from there to the rest of the neighborhoods in the city, but today it has become a center <a href="http://sa.arabiaweather.com/content/%D8%A8%D8%B7%D8%A7%D9%82%D8%A9-%D8%A... public transportation in Istanbul</a> .</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> And because it is teeming with hotels, travel agencies, restaurants, cafes, and the surrounding shops, Taksim Square has become the vibrant heart of Istanbul, and it is also the place for public events and New Year celebrations.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The square is the end of Istiklal Street, which is famous for being a shopping street thanks to the large number of shops. It also includes many ancient, service and banking buildings, cafes, restaurants, and even some embassies and consulates.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"> The length of the street is 3 and a half kilometers, and therefore it was known as the &quot;Great Street&quot; during the Ottoman rule. It extends to the tunnel area and passes through the regions of Karakoy and Piran. One of the most important tourist experiences in it is the old tramway that is still operating today.</p><p style=";text-align:left;direction:ltr"></p>