This park us next to Taksim Square. It is not the nicest Park. Kids and dome young-at-heart teens…read morecompete for playtime in the playground.

Gezi Park is a beautiful, small park in Taksim; an oasis in the middle of one of the most crowded…read morecities of the world. Being born & raised in Istanbul, Gezi Park is full of memories for me. Nowadays for Turkish people the park has a new meaning. It's a symbol of freedom, the center of the uprise against the ongoing oppression from the government and police violence in Turkey. Now, I live abroad but I visited the park on my last visit to Istanbul. I was there on June, 15th just half an hour ago police forces brutally attacked peaceful protestors with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's order. This time to end the resistance for good, no matter what... I digress. You should read the news (well, foreign news as Turkish media is being censored and auto-censored you won't get much from them), follow #direngezi hastag or just read the wiki page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_protests_in_Turkey I'd suggest anyone visiting the area add Gezi Park to their list. Go there, stand in the middle of the park for a short break and also to praise the peaceful protestors who resisted for people's freedom.

Wow, what a stunning oasis. The park which translates "Rosehouse Park" is in the Eminönü district…read moreof Istambul. The park itself used to be a large walled garden of the adjacent Topaki Palace. The initial park opened in 1912 but has undergone extensive remodeling in the years since. The park is a vast open space and during our trip the tulips were in bloom. They do take the keep off the lawn seriously with park employees with whistles calling out any and all offenders big and small. The wall of the park are amazing as well. There are a few exhibits and at least one restaurant but we just walked through it and did not check anything else out.

Stunning park filled with fountains and flowers. It sit at the bottom of a hill that houses both…read morethe Istanbul Archeological Museum and the Topkapi Palace. Don't miss this park as it is welcoming and relaxing. Truly a treasure in Istanbul