Camondo stairs – Kamondo merdivenleri
Camondo stairs ,also known as Kamondo stairs, is a very special architectural public service project donated by the Camondos, a wealthy Istanbul Jewish family. Built in 1860 they are a special example of baroque and art nouveau styles.
These very special stairs have a hexagonal shape. It is said that this shape was arranged this way, so that if a child would slip while climbing down, the other bevel would prevent them from falling.
Photo by Niyazi Uğur Genca
These stairs were built to facilitate the transport of Camondo’s children to reach school and to cut down Camondos way to the Banks Avenue , built by them as well.
The stairs climb the hill from the Galata docks and Bankalar Caddesi (Avenue of the Banks) up to the fashionable 19th-century neighborhoods where the Camondos built an imposing edifice to house a school.
