Located in one of Istanbul’s most culturally diversified historic districts with breathtaking views of the Bosphorus and the Historical Peninsula, Galataport Istanbul has been designed with a horizontal open-air urban planning approach with accessible low-rise buildings, in harmony with the historical texture of the area, offering its guests a breath of fresh air in a healthy and safe atmosphere. 

In the first five years, more than 55 million visitors, 802 ships, and 2.3 million passengers including crew were hosted.

The World’s First Underground Cruise Ship Terminal 

Galataport Istanbul is home to state-of-the-art cruise facilities, including the world’s first underground cruise ship terminal. 

The 29,000 sqm Galataport Istanbul Cruise Terminal, designed with a unique hatch system connected to an underground terminal, creates a temporary customs area while a ship is in port, which converts Istanbul’s historic port into a unique promenade in an area that has been closed to public access since late 19th century, and leaves the coastline free after the ship departs. 

Galataport Istanbul is capable of accommodating three ships and 15,000 passengers a day, and the infrastructure lets it accommodate oasis-class cruise ships, which are the world's largest vessels with more than 8,000 passengers including crew. 

With this vision, it is preparing to reach an all-time high with 280,000 homeport passengers in 2026. As a result, the number of homeport passengers, having tripled within two years, will equal the number of transit passengers for the first time in history in 2026. 

Gastronomy and Shopping 

Galataport Istanbul features 201 retail and dining outlets. 

Hosting a wide range of stores that highlight world-renowned brands and unique products from local designers, Galataport Istanbul also captivates its guests with a rich variety of restaurants serving authentic flavors from Turkish and global cuisines. 

Guests can savor local and international delicacies crafted by the world's leading chefs right by the Bosphorus. These esteemed brands include the award-winning, London-based pioneer of Japanese cuisine Roka, Liman Istanbul offering flavors that synthesize Turkish cuisine with Western influences, Sait Balık bringing the vibrant blue essence of Bodrum to Istanbul, masters of meat Günaydın Steakhouse, and the city's leading Italian restaurants Gina and Mezzaluna. Local dessert and confectionery shops, coffeehouses, and the go-to destination for local craft beer, The Populist, are also among the favorites of Galataport Istanbul's guests. 

Meanwhile, Paket Postanesi takes its place today alongside Galataport Istanbul as a modern architectural space nourished by historical heritage. 

Paket Postanesi regenerates Karaköy's multicultural commercial life and craft traditions into the present day, featuring masters of fashion, design, gastronomy, and jewelry art who have expanded from Istanbul to the rest of the world. 

Arts and Culture 

As an extension of one of the oldest neighborhoods of İstanbul, Galataport Istanbul arts & culture mission revolves around regenerating the cultural richness the area offered in the past. Galataport Istanbul is an accessible arts & culture hub for all, creating value for the society, supporting young artists and the art initiatives in the area. 

As part of the Turkish Culture Road Festival, organized under the auspices of the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Galataport has become a key destination in the city's arts and culture calendar. 

Through events such as the 100th Anniversary of the Republic celebrations accompanied by the Doğuş Children's Symphony Orchestra and the TVF Women's European Volleyball Championship Fanzone, it has transformed into a unifying space where both local and international guests enjoy unique experiences and share similar emotions, regardless of their initial reasons for visiting. Since its opening, 3.5 million visitors have attended the events held here. 

As Türkiye’s first immersive VR museum, Muzeverse offers visitors a unique journey through cinematic VR experiences that transport them into some of the most striking eras of history. Located in the heart of Galataport, Muzeverse combines advanced VR technology with spatial design to create 45-minute immersive time capsules. 

Galataport Istanbul houses the finest works of art in Türkiye with two leading art museums, the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art and Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture. 

The Renzo Piano-designed Istanbul Modern Museum, the first contemporary arts museum of Türkiye founded in 2004, has opened within the premises of Galataport Istanbul. 

MSGSU Istanbul Museum of Painting and Sculpture building has become one of the top destinations in the Karaköy area, and is designed by Emre Arolat Architects, an architectural office whose work has been recognized with several prestigious accolades to date, including the 2010 Aga Khan Award for Architecture and the 2015 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award. 

Heritage Structures 

Located in such a historic district, Galataport Istanbul is rich in heritage. All heritage buildings in state of disrepair have been restored, structurally strengthened or reinstated to embellish the city once again. 

The oldest building on the pier (1911), Paket Postanesi is a landmark of the project with its characteristic slated roofs and exterior facades. Today, the Paket Postanesi reinterprets the city's traditional bazaar culture, housing numerous concept stores. 

Three heritage buildings within Galataport Istanbul, Merkez Han, Karaköy Passenger Hall and Çinili Han are also restorated 

Another landmark of Galataport Istanbul, the Tophane Clock Tower which dates back to 1848 is the oldest clock tower in Türkiye. It was renovated using a special on-site technique that involved lifting the tower. During the arduous restoration efforts, a formerly unknown floor of the monument was discovered, and about 140 cm of the tower was unearthed. 

Offices 

Located at the city's most accessible point, where business life meets social life in the open air, the low-rise Galataport Istanbul Offices with balconies and terraces provide flexible, functional, and interactive office solutions tailored to the needs and expectations of all organizations. 

The facilities offer office spaces in various sizes, options with balconies and terraces, and shared kitchen areas on each floor that enhance functionality. Day by day, Galataport Istanbul Offices are becoming a prestigious address preferred by corporate companies operating on a global scale. 

The office spaces are designed with a forward-thinking approach, featuring smart building automation and isolated system rooms exclusively allocated for each office. Furthermore, the use of seawater as a cooling fluid instead of environmentally harmful gases, the water conditioning and purification processes applied to the clean water lines, and the maximum utilization of daylight all make a significant contribution to energy efficiency. 

The Peninsula Istanbul 

Award winning luxury hotel brand The Peninsula Hotels added Istanbul to its list of 12 prestigious locations around the world. Situated right across the city’s Historical Peninsula, the 177-room The Peninsula Istanbul is welcoming its guests within restored and renovated heritage buildings, including Karaköy Passenger Hall, which was Türkiye’s first modern cruise passenger terminal back in 1940s, Merkez Han and Çinili Han. The fourth building of The Peninsula Istanbul includes a grand ballroom that, when combined with its terrace can accommodate 820 guests for a seated banquet and 1,300 for standing cocktails. The building features a guillotine glass exterior facade, which opens in ninety seconds and contrasts its warmth with the freshness of the Bosphorus. 

50% of The Peninsula Istanbul’s total investment cost of €300 million was contributed by Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Limited (HSH) as direct foreign investment to Türkiye.