The avenue briefly fell from grace in the 1970s and 1980s , with its old Istanbulite inhabitants moving elsewhere , and its side streets – then stereotyped with their bars and bordellos – being populated by migrants from the rural areas of Anatolia . However , during the late 1980s and early 1990s , a massive restoration process took place , master-planned and executed by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality and Beyoğlu Municipality ( including the restoration of the historic buildings , new pavements for full pedestrianization , and the reinstallation of the historic trams ) , bringing the avenue its old charm and popularity . İstiklal Avenue once again became the center of fine arts and leisure in Istanbul , with real estate prices skyrocketing as a result . Numerous new art galleries , bookstores , cafés , pubs , restaurants , shops and hotels were opened . The venues around the avenue became the host of many international art festivals , such as the annual Istanbul Film Festival . İstiklal Avenue is also a popular venue for all sorts of parades ( such as the annual Istanbul Pride ) , marches , gatherings and protests ( such as the 2013 Gezi Park protests ) in the city . On 19 March 2016 it was the location of a suicide bombing attack that killed 5 people
suicide bombing attack
March 2016 Istanbul bombing
İstiklal Avenue