Lovers of art and culture, this tour is for you! The bridge between Western and Eastern cultures, Istanbul is an important and unique cultural hub of Europe. The art scene is broad and varied, ranging from traditional Orientalist and Ottoman artwork to the most avant-garde contemporary art installations, digital works and more. On this tour, a local art professional will take you on a walk around the trendy and up-and-coming neighbourhoods of the city to discover the roots of Istanbul's contemporary art scene. We will visit SALT Galata, a not-for-profit organisation that champions cultural and artistic innovation and provides access to thousands of print and digital resources relating to Turkish art and culture from the 1950s to present day. It also hosts a variety of creative workshops and exhibitions. After SALT Galata, we will walk the winding streets of Beyoğlu to discover the hidden art galleries of the Tophane and Karakoy neighborhoods. On the way, we will visit Pera Museum, a private art museum displaying unique works including Osman Hamdi Bey's well-known painting, "Turtle Trainer". We will end the tour on a high note with Istanbul Modern, Istanbul's first modern and contemporary art gallery. The gallery hosts local and international exhibitions, rotated regularly to show the greatest variety of artistic media used in modern art. Their exhibitions also aim to demonstrate the evolution of art from the early 20th century to today, and provide an insight into modern art around the world. We hope your tour will be a memorable one and we look forward to see you in the future on another TravelShop Booking Tour.