A HISTORIC train station that once welcomed the iconic Orient Express is set to become a huge new tourist hotspot.
Sirkeci Train Station in Istanbul dates back to 1890, and was used to connect Turkey to Europe.
One of Turkey’s most historic train stations is reopening[/caption]
The station has one remaining restaurant, mainly used by commuters[/caption]
And the station is sent to undergo a massive renovation project, turning it into a “cultural island”.
By this, it means an upgrade to the current Railway Museum as well as a new Migration Museum.
Art galleries will also be installed at the train station.
The project includes restoring some of the original features including the facade and stained glass windows.
Turkey’s Minister of Culture and Tourism Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said: “Sirkeci will not become a hotel or shopping mall.
“It will become a new stop for culture and the arts with the Migration Museum, thematic museums and galleries.
However, he said that passenger trains will also continue to use the station, remaining a “historic transport point serving passengers while becoming an important stop on Istanbul’s cultural route.”
The train station was originally commissioned by Ottoman Sultan Abdulhamid in 1888, opening just two years later.
Built on the European side of the Bosporus strait it welcomed the Orient Express that connected Paris and Istanbul until 1977.
It also used to connect the rest of Europe such as Thessalonki in Greece on the Friendship Express, although this stopped in 2011.
It also used to have trains to Romania – this also no longer operates.
Now it is primarily used as a commuter train service.
It was the inspiration for Agatha Christie’s novel Murder on the Orient Express, and then used to film parts of the 2017 film based on the book.
James Bond fans will recognise it too, from the 1963 film From Russia With Love.
It was known for being the last stop on the Orient Express route[/caption]
It also has a free to visit museum[/caption]
The new series of the Netflix thriller The Night Agent has also been filmed there.
Once having three restaurants, just one remains at the train sation – the Orient Express Restaurant.
And in 2005, the free-to-visit Istanbul Railway Museum opened with more than 300 items on show.
It’s not the only train station in Turkey getting an upgrade.
Haydarpaşa Train Station, which closed in 2010, will also reopen next year under the same “Station-Culture-Art Project”.
And a new high speed train could connect Europe to Turkey in just three hours.
The train station is on the European side of Istanbul[/caption]
