shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileTurkey

in Beyoğlu, the long walk from Taksim to Tünel

İstiklal Avenue

— — the red tram and the after-hours roar.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.

— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand

— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines

— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall

— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround

— a note from the studio

“A pedestrian mile through the heart of Beyoğlu, from Taksim Square down to the old Tünel funicular. Nineteenth-century facades face each other across the cobbles, the heritage red tram clangs through the crowd, and side passages open onto fish markets, bookshops, and the Çiçek Pasajı. By midnight on a weekend, the noise carries up to the rooftops, and the chestnut sellers are still working their grills. — from the studio

from the studio

— bring it home

İstiklal Avenue, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?

One tile — square or rectangle.

How big?

the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand

6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb

Surface finish

A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.

How it sits

A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.

$58

Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.

— size

6 × 6 in

15 cm

— weighs

1.6 lb

solid in the hand

— surface

ceramic, hand-finished

art rests beneath a thin glossy finish

— from

Knoxville, TN

our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies

— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about İstiklal Avenue

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.

— the place

İstiklal Caddesi, the Avenue of Independence, runs about 1.4 kilometres through the Beyoğlu district of Istanbul, from Taksim Square at its north end to the upper station of the Tünel funicular at its south. Known in the late Ottoman era as the Grande Rue de Péra, it was the diplomatic and commercial spine of the European quarter and remains the city's busiest pedestrian street. On weekends it can carry several million visitors a day, served by the heritage T2 tram that runs the length of the avenue.

— informed by Wikipedia — İstiklal Avenue

— the stone

The avenue's facades are a record of nineteenth-century Pera. Neo-classical and Art Nouveau apartment blocks rise four and five storeys above the cobbles, broken by the spires of St. Anthony of Padua, the largest Catholic church in Istanbul, completed in 1912. Arcades such as the Çiçek Pasajı, opened in 1876 as the Cité de Péra, lead to small meyhanes that still serve raki and meze. The Tünel funicular at the south end, opened in 1875, is one of the oldest underground urban rail lines in the world.

— informed by Wikipedia — Tünel

— the visit

Taksim Square is the easiest starting point, reached by the M2 metro or the F1 funicular up from Kabataş. From Taksim, walk south through the avenue to the upper Tünel station and ride the short funicular down to Karaköy and the Galata Bridge. The avenue is busiest from late afternoon to past midnight and is open only to pedestrians and the heritage tram. The Galata Tower stands a short walk south, and the Pera Museum sits about halfway along, on a side street called Meşrutiyet Caddesi.

— informed by Wikipedia — Beyoğlu

— where

Turkey · Beyoğlu, Istanbul

— elevation

60 m · 197 ft

— position

41.0344° N · 28.9770° E

— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.

at the lake

Taksim Square

city square

1 km S

Galata Tower

medieval tower

1 km S

Pera Museum

art museum

İstiklal Avenue

Taksim Square

Galata Tower

Pera Museum

— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about İstiklal Avenue — and about bringing the piece home.

— about the place

İstiklal Avenue is the main pedestrian street of Istanbul's Beyoğlu district. It is known for its nineteenth-century Pera facades, the heritage red tram, the Çiçek Pasajı arcade, and its concentration of restaurants, shops, and night life.

İstiklal Caddesi runs through the Beyoğlu district on the European side of Istanbul, on the high ground north of the Golden Horn. It connects Taksim Square in the north to the Tünel funicular station in the south.

The avenue runs about 1.4 kilometres from Taksim Square to the Tünel station. The walk takes roughly twenty to thirty minutes at a relaxed pace, longer on a crowded weekend evening.

The nostalgic T2 line is a heritage tram in service since 1990 along the avenue. The single red car runs on the original Ottoman-era track between Taksim and Tünel and is now operated mainly for tourists.

The Çiçek Pasajı, or Flower Passage, is a covered arcade opened in 1876 as the Cité de Péra. It houses several traditional meyhanes serving meze and raki under a glazed roof, off the middle of İstiklal Avenue.

The Tünel is a short underground funicular opened in 1875 to lift passengers between Karaköy at the foot of the hill and the south end of İstiklal Avenue. It is among the oldest underground urban rail lines in the world.

— about the piece in your home

It has been a meaningful gift for customers with roots in Istanbul. The piece reads as a portrait of the avenue and its red tram rather than a generic skyline. A Small or Medium with a handwritten note carries well.

The piece sits well in warm Maximalist, European-traditional, and Jewel-tone modern rooms. The tram reds and Pera-facade ochres work against walnut, brass, and kilim textiles.

A single Large reads well above a standard console. Above a full sofa, a four-tile Mural holds the wall in scale, and a nine-tile Mural fills a larger living room above an eight-foot sectional.

Yes. Choose the Dura Satin or Matte finish for humid rooms and splash zones. Both are scratch-resistant and wipe clean. The Glossy finish is meant for dry framed wall art.

A soft microfibre cloth and water are enough. Avoid abrasive sponges and cleaners with bleach or ammonia. The colour is infused into the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, so it will not fade with normal cleaning.

Yes. The painting is original to Wender Studios in Knoxville, Tennessee, curated by Reid Wender. The tiles are hand-finished in our studio, and the artwork is not licensed to or from any other maker.

— if this one stayed with you

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