Story of the Rainbow Stairs of Istanbul

[N. Truth Seeker]

Rainbow steps are located close to Gezi Park which is next to Taksim Square in Istanbul, Turkiye.




In 2013 these steps looked very dull. A retired civil engineer, Huseyn Cetinel, residing in this neighborhood decided to paint them.





Purchasing 40 kilograms of paint, Huseyn spent nearly $1,000 painting 145 steps in different rainbow colours.  It took him four days and when completed, the scenario was a masterpiece.  It created a lot of excitement and buzz in the neighborhood.  The news soon spread beyond  Taksim Square and then on to the social media.



News about the Rainbow Stairs in Istanbul


Sooner rather than later it grabbed the attention of Tayyip Erdogan’s government which was at that time struggling to quell the Gezi Park protests.   It viewed these bright colors as a gesture of optimism for the protesters .. something symbolic of rebellion against the government.

The government repainted these steps with a dark and dull shade of gray and Huseyn’s hard work was no longer visible.  Though done anonymously,  everyone knew it was the government.

However,  Huseyn had no such intentions of a rebellion. He was an apolitical person. When interviewed, Huseyn replied  “I didn’t do it for a group or as a form of activism.  I did it to make people smile.”

Many people within Turkiye were upset.  Social media was inundated with the hashtag #DirenMerdiven (#ResistStairs), sharing before and after images of the rainbow steps.  All this noise heightened the popularity of these colorful stairs.  Similar bright colored steps began popping up all over Istanbul and even around the country. 

Eventually, the government acknowledged it was responsible for the repainting work and gave permission for the bright rainbow colors to return on the steps near Gezi Park.

By 2015 this entire flight of stairs were in serious need of repair.  So the municipality destroyed the original steps that Hüseyin had painted and replaced them with a new set of stairs with permanent rainbow tiles as a mark of respect for Hüseyin and his masterpiece.

At present, these steps are among the many tourist attractions in Istanbul, Turkiye, and never fail to bring a wide cheesy smile on the faces to the visitors which was precisely Huseyn’s purpose.



And now, to bring more smile on peoples' faces, take a look at these ..

It is Balat, Istanbul, a neighborhood best known for its colourful houses, diverse culture and rich history. It's riddled with narrow streets, charming coffee shops, and in recent years, it's become popular for its street art and galleries.

Stroll through the colorful streets of Fatih, Balat, Istanbul Turkiye .. the colorful homes of Istanbul, Turkiye.



















Unforgettably beautiful, aren’t they?

[Ruhi_Rose]

Mash'Allah. wowie!  For sure unforgettably beautiful.  A visual example of cheerfulness in a city brought by bright colors.  Gorgeous rainbow steps, and Balat neighborhood is amazing.  I could never imagine colors could make such a difference.

I'm sure when I show these to my kids they'll say "let's go to Turkiye and buy a home in Balat"  😄


Thanko brother!  great piece with delightful pics 

[Zainab_M]

Awesome history.   I hope replacing the paint they have put good quality colored tiles for the steps, otherwise tiles also wear off through exposure to weather. 

I too wish I lived in Balat  🙂  breathtaking ..

Thanks brother TS. 

[N. Truth Seeker]

Welcome sisters.

Sister Zainab, well yes, the tiles are of fairly nice quality but perhaps could have been better.