To get from Taksim Square to the airport now requires crossing a continent—and an hour of your life. The city’s solution has been mega-projects: a new canal, massive suspension bridges, and the deepest metro station in the world. But these projects, while impressive, are straining the city's geological limits.
Where are they going? To the Aegean coast, to the mountains of Rize, to the quiet villages of the Mediterranean. They are fleeing the noise, the corruption, the earthquakes, and the cost. Last Call for Istanbul
But today, a different phrase is circulating among expats, travelers, and local residents alike: To get from Taksim Square to the airport