Category: Commercial
Type: Bank
Location: Arap Cami, Bankalar Ave. Beyoğlu
Date: 1934
Period: Republic of Türkiye
Designer: Levon Nafilyan
Photos: Kumbara Dergisi (kumbaradergisi.com)
Located at number 7 on the historic Bankalar Street in Galata, the Türkiye İş Bankası Galata Branch stands as a refined example of the late First National Architecture Movement. Designed by the architect Levon Nafilyan and completed in 1934, the building was originally commissioned to serve as the headquarters for the Ottoman General Insurance Company. Its design harmoniously blends traditional Ottoman elements with early Republican modernism, most notably through the use of prominent pointed arches on the facade and decorative turquoise tile panels above the main entrance. As it stands today, the structure remains a vital piece of the district’s financial heritage, reflecting a period when architects sought to establish a unique national identity within Istanbul’s cosmopolitan urban landscape.
