Taksim square is the starting point
of gay life and general night life.
Although they would be open for service at around 22:00 or 23:00
o'clock, almost all gay bars&clubs are busy after midnight and almost
all perform loud
music; usually Turkish pop; or western pop, techno or underground
music in turns. There are no dark rooms in any of them for
action, but usually kissing, hugging etc is well tolerated.
Saturday nights are busiest nights everywhere. Friday nights are also
busy if not as much. Tuesday or Wednesday would be the busier for
mid-week nights usually. Monday would be the least busy day and
mostly upper scale gay-clubs would be closed.
The gay bars and clubs would be more busy in winter season. Because
local people also go on holidays to resorts in Southern Turkey, it gets
more quiet in July and August and some of them close for a few weeks
for renovating their decorations.
Most gay bars/clubs in Istanbul would ask for entrance fee on Saturday
nights and sometimes on Friday nights, but you can get one "local
drink" with your ticket. Gay bars are in fact not very cheap in
Istanbul, so do not think that they are overcharging you for being a
tourist. The price of one drink ranges approximately
between 5-8 Euros for local drinks, 10-15 Euros for
"imported drinks" such as Whiskey, Malibu, Safari, some
cocktails etc.
The bars would accept Euros or Dollars but would apply lower currency
rates than the regular market. Do not take this personal, again, they
would do the same to Turkish clients as well, if they try. Few venues
would also accept payments with credit cards, but not all. So, have
some Turkish lira with you when you go out, to make it easier.
Typically, there would be a several security guys waiting at the entrance door of
each gay bar/club. They look like mafia types, but do not be scared. They
are there to stop some unsolicited visitors, definitely not gay
tourists. You will be well respected in any gay venue, not only
because you have money but because -if not all- majority of Turkish
people have a kind of appreciation for western culture, which is something
they have been trying to be a part of it for over 200 years.
Security guys
(often called body-guards) also take care of the cloakrooms and would
insist you to leave your bags, jackets and coats in winter season, for
which you will have to pay
usually when you leave. Of course, they will give you a number for the
cloakroom.
Useful tips for finding the addresses:
Cad. = Caddesi (read: Jad-de-see) = Main street/avenue
Sok. = Sokak= Side street or smaller street.
Ilkyaz Apt. = Ilkyaz Apartment, name of the building, if there is one.
Kat: 3 = On the 3rd Floor
No:23/4 = Here 23 Refers
to the number of the building on that street. It follows as 2,4,6... ,
on one side, 1,3,5... on the other side of the street. 4 refers to the
number of the flat/apartment/floor
Do not get confused with
Taksim and Beyoglu districts, when you examine the venue addresses.
The official town/county is called Beyoglu (historcal name Pera) Taksim is just the central
neighborhood of Beyoglu, at the northern end of the town and Istiklal
Caddesi (famous pedestrian avenue). The area starting from Taksim Square all the way down
to the Golden Horn (narrow bay locally called Halic "read=Hullich") on the southern-end is all
part of Beyoglu
town. That is, if the address contains Taksim, the place should be
closer to the north of Beyoglu.
The bars and clubs can roughly be classified in three groups:
1-Modern
Gay Bars and Clubs:
These are like any gay bar club that you can see anywhere in Europe, usually patronized by more modern, educated
or wealthier people. They are a little more expensive, but they
provide better air-condition and have better music system. There can
always be a few lesbians in these bars, because there is not any
exclusively lesbian bar or club in Turkey yet.
16:00
- 02:00 (more busy in the evenings) ADDRESS: Istiklal Caddesi, Yesilcam
Sokak No: 25
(Yesilcam Sokak is a lane opposite of Sine Pop cinema, the venue is at
the left end of the street)
A nice cafe-bar open from 4 pm till 2 am, but expected to be busier in
the early evenings and around midnight. Recommended for those who avoid to wait for after
midnight bars and clubs that plays loud techno/underground music , and
do not want to stay up until morning. Visit their website for
more information, location map and contact information:
Website: Gay Cafe Bar Istanbul
Saturday night at Barbahce
Saturday nights are the busiest night in bars
The bars are
jam-packed
BARBAHCE Open 23:00 - 06:00.
Open on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Siraselviler Caddesi, Soganci Sokak, No:7/1, Cihangir - Beyoglu.
Closer to German (Alman) hospital, across from "Taksim Ilk Yardim"
public hospital.
Very busy on Saturday nights as all other gay bars and clubs.
Recommended for those who would prefer to meet real gay people
instead of rent boys. This is very much like a western gay club,
almost with same attitudes, music, decoration etc and provides
activities such as shows, dancing as well as concept nights at
weekends. You may also see few lesbians.
PRIVE (
23:00-04:00)
Address: Tarlabasi Bulvari, No: 28/A Taksim / Istanbul (Across
the flower shops at Taksim Square)
Prive is the oldest of present gay clubs of Istanbul. It is a
small venue but usually very busy. A mixture of English and
Turkish pop music is fairly entertaining here. You may
sometimes come across to some rent boys and curious straight groups.
It is also busy during the weekdays, especially after 01:00 am.
OTHERSIDE 15:00
- 02:00
ADDRESS: Lamartine Caddesi 11/4 Beyoglu.
A quiet place that can get busier before midnight also on the 4th
floor of the building.
EXIT CLUB 23:00 - 04:00 ADDRESS: Istiklal Caddesi Saka Salim
Cıkmazı NO:1/1 Beyoglu-Istanbul
A new gay bar with a European gay club concept opened in March 2007.
They organize activities such as
dancing, DJ shows, go go boys, drag-queen shows mainly on weekend
nights.
2-Boy Clubs. The bars and clubs listed below are
comparatively cheaper places,
and they are mainly rent boy hang-outs, although they are literally
defined as gay bar/club by their administrations. They are attended by
many bisexual/straight boys or some younger queens 'trying' to make prostitution, so they can
be recommended for those who are interested with Istanbul's gay
escorts or rent boys.
Open from 22:00-05:00
Address: Istiklal Caddesi Zambak Sok. NO:15 Taksim.
Website:
Gay Club Istanbul
Queen is a small night club wiht very friendly staff and manager.
The music is great in Queen Dancing, probably because one of the
managers of the club is a well known DJ, a handsome young guy very
much admired in the vicinity.
For
further details and map visit their
DEJA VU 23:00-04:00
Address: Istiklal Caddesi, Sadri Alisik Sokak,
No:26, Beyoglu. Mainly amateur rent boys and hustlers and those who are
interested in them. Very loud techno/underground music.
The most senior of this kind of clubs.
CLUB 17 : 23:00-04:00
Address: Istiklal Caddesi, Zambak Sokak No:17 (Closer to French
Consulate)
Meeting point of mainly cheap young hustlers and escort boys and some gay men who would be
interested in them. They play mainly loud techno music
from their horrible music systembut it is usually full of these hustlers.
Beware of the boys you pick up from here.
Near Queen Bar
TARKAN
This beautiful man is incontrovertibly the number one leading pop
star of the country, even famous in some European countries. When
his photographs were shown on the TV channels; kissing an
obviously gay men he simply said. "I don't think I am obliged to
make any explanation about my private life !" This was forgotten
in a very short time and TV channels are now talking about his
girl-friends on the magazine programs. One of Tarkan's albums, who
makes a very good combination of western pop sounds and
traditional Turkish rhythms can be a good souvenir from Turkey.
VIDEO CLIP OF TARKAN
(Windows Media Player)
3-More local or peculiar gay bars
and clubs
EKOO BAR
( 22:00-04:00) (Ex Hans Bar, more busy
between 23:30-04:00)
Address: Tarlabasi Bulvari No: 248 Beyoglu. It is on the other side of
the Tarlabasi Bulvari (Tarlabasi Avenue) with respect to the nightlife
part of the town, across from British Consulate more or less, closer
to Euro Plaza Hotel on the same side of the street. The entrance is
behind the public bus station at the pavement below the street
level, but its sign-board is visible from the street.
Do not miss this place if you want to see something more local, a
relaxed atmosphere with less attitudes. Mix
ages and various types of gay men, bears, bear lovers and few queens as well as gay
tourists are regular
attendants. Mainly Western dance and
house music as well as some Turkish dance and pop selections.
TEK YON (22:30-04:00)
Address: Beyoglu.
Mainly middle class and more local people patronize the place. It is
also popular among local bear people but you will see many queens
and even several 'rough' rent boys. Unfortunately a few "tourist
hunters" have also discovered the place recently, so be careful
with some younger straight-looking guys that are "too friendly". The waiters are very
feminine and friendly
in this bar, probably to entertain their loyal clients. Male belly
dancer and simple drag
shows performed by the bar staff can be fun to see, usually on Tuesday
nights after 01:00 am. DEGIRMEN PUB:
18:00 - 02:00
Attention. This place
was closed recently and we are not sure when/if it will will re-open
yet.
Address:
Adnan Menderes Bulvari, Horhor Caddesi, AKSARAY.
Near Aksaray
town center, facing light-metro station.
(Please note that this is in another town called Aksaray. It takes
about 10-15 minutes to go to Aksaray from Taksim by taxi)
It looks like a neighborhood bar but this place is the most "traditional" gay venue of Istanbul. Not only the
people, but the place itself, the live Turkish music, the decoration,
even the way people dance is very "local" here. For urban
Turks this is more a rural atmosphere, actually. At least see it
once!. It can be also classified as a bear-club with a lot of
straight-looking gay men with mustache. Mainly middle age attendants. Watch out for pick-pockets
and tourist-hunters in the vicinity especially after midnight.
PASAM PUB:
18:00 - 02:00 (open until 04:00 am on weekend)
Attention. This place
was closed recently and we are not sure when/if it will will re-open
yet.
Address: Muratpasa Sokak No 9 AKSARAY. (Near Yusufpasa
tram station, after Aksaray with respect to Sultanahmet)
Pasam is taking the place of senior Degirmen pub, more deliberately
targeting to bear and bear lovers with almost same exotic atmosphere
of Degirmen Pub. SAHRA
BAR:
23:00 -
04:00
ADDRESS: Istiklal Cad. Sadri Alisik Sokak.
NO:40 Beyoglu. (Closer to Aga Camii on Istiklal)
Originally a she-male club, but definitely not a typical one in
comparison to other ones in Istanbul.
Words are not enough to describe this 5 storey bar/club. Packed with a compilation
of transvestites, semi-transvestites, male prostitutes, queens but
overwhelmingly with hundreds of horny young boys ready to screw
anything (call them bi or straight) coming from ghettoes of Istanbul
especially on Saturday nights. Some
gay men who like such rough boys would also go here comfortably. Watch
your wallet and do not expect to be highly esteemed. It can be really
fun to see the place once, because it must be one of its kind in the world
most probably.
