Kadikoy Bull Statue (Kadikoy Boga Heykeli)
Bull Statue in Kadıköy is one of the symbols of the Asian side of Istanbul. It is located in Kadıköy Altıyol (Six roads in Turkish), in the middle of an intersection that connects six roads -Altıyol- and it makes the Kadıköy Bull Statue one of the busiest meeting points in Istanbul.
Interesting story of the Bull Statue in Kadikoy
The journey of the Bull Statue in Kadıköy is a very long and interesting one. The bronze statue was made by famous-French sculptor Isidore Bonheur in 1864 and erected in a square in the French territory of Alsace-Lorraine commemorating the French victory against the Germans. However, several years later Alsace-Lorraine territory was taken by the Germans in the early 1870s and the statue was moved to the capital of the German Empire.
During the First World War (1914-1918) the German Empire and Ottoman Empire were allies and German Kaiser Wilhelm II sent the Bull Statue to Ottoman general Enver Paşa as a gift in 1917. In 1917, the Bull Statue was erected to the Yıldız Palace, but after the loss of the First World War in 1918 Enver Paşa fled both the empire and palace. Therefore, the statue was abandoned for years. In 1955, the Bull Statue was moved to the courtyard of Istanbul Hilton Hotel which was the first modern five-star hotel and decorated Istanbul Hilton Hotel for fifteen years.
The Bull Statue made it first inter-continental journey in 1970 and it was brought to Kadıköy and decorated the former Kadıköy Municipality Building for two decades. Finally, in 1990 the Bull Statue was erected in Altıyol Intersection and currently the Kadıköy Bull Statue is one of the most popular meeting points for people meeting in Kadıköy.
Amazing facts about the Kadıköy Bull Statue
Its sculptor Isidore Bonheur was the best animalier sculptor of the nineteenth century and his animal sculptures are still all around the world.
In 2012, the statue was painted to yellow-red by Galatasaray supporters before the soccer match between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. Yet, paint was removed next day.
- Kadıköy Bull Statue’s size is same with an adult bull.