2012 was welcomed in Istanbul with spectacular New Year celebrations. The most popular places for celebrations in Istanbul were again Taksim Square and Nişantaşı’s Abdi İpekçi Avenue.
The city was decorated with lights and an array of shows and concerts were organized to welcome the New Year.
Revelers in Istanbul rang in the new year as in the past with large street parties in Taksim Square and Nişantaşı.
Despite cold and partially rainy weather in the city, people rushed to square and İstiklal Avenue long before the bell struck midnight. Bars and restaurants on İstiklal were especially full until the morning hours, Anatolia news agency reported.
Citizens and tourists in Taksim Square gathered around the Republic Monument and made a countdown into the New Year. In the first minutes of 2012, some people climbed the monument and shouted slogans while others danced the halay.
DJ performances marked the night in another place famous for its New Year’s celebrations, Nişantaşı’s Abdi İpekçi Avenue, while a red carpet was rolled out down the street. Revelers danced all night under artificial snow and were treated to laser and fireworks shows.
