Forum Istanbul

Forum Istanbul is a large shopping and leisure centre in the Bayrampaşa district on the European side of Istanbul. It opened in 2009 and, with a built area of about 495,000 square metres, is one of the biggest malls in Europe.

Hundreds of shops range from international fashion chains to Turkish brands such as LC Waikiki, DeFacto, Mavi and Colins, and an IKEA store is part of the complex. There are many restaurants and cafés, a large food court and a cinema.

For families, the mall has two big attractions: the SEA LIFE Istanbul aquarium, with sharks and rays swimming over a long underwater tunnel, and the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre for younger children, with rides, building areas and a 4D cinema. Both charge separate admission, which is cheaper when booked online in advance.

Forum Istanbul is open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. It has its own stop, Kocatepe, on the M1 metro (lines M1A and M1B), about 15 minutes from Aksaray and Yenikapı near the historic centre, and the Istanbul main bus station (Esenler Otogar) is the next stop.