The Orient Express Station - Sirkeci station

In From Russia With Love, when Bond and Tania arrives on the Orient Express in Belgrade, one of Kerim's sons is waiting for Bond at the platform. All the scenes in the Zagreb, Belgrade and Istanbul train stations were filmed at the same railway station in Istanbul, namely the Sirkeci Station in the Fatih district, from where the Orient Express departs on its journey to Paris.

The Sirkeci station doubled for the other locations in the Balkans, with scenes just shot at different platforms on the station. The building in the background is recognisable from earlier in the film when Bond and Tania arrive at the Istanbul station, catching the Orient Express.

The distinct windows are recognisable from the film and can still be found on location.

Entrance to the Grand Bazaar - Gate 1

In From Russia With Love, when Bond arrives in Istanbul he is driven to the office of Ali Kerim, the head of the British Secret Service's "Station T" Turkey. Kerim's office is located inside the famous Grand Bazaar, a location that Bond would visit again in Skyfall. Bond's Rolls Royce arriving at at the Grand Bazaar in front of the Nuruosmanyie Mosque has been covered here earlier. Bond and the chauffeur is seen entering the Grand Bazaar through the main entrance gate.

In a very brief sequence, one of the streets just outside of Gate 1 is seen. This street is called Ç. Nuruosmaniye Cadessi. In the background you can also spot the crowd watching the filming. Crowd control was a huge problem during the filming of From Russia With Love, which is apparent in several scenes.

Bond and the chauffeur enter the Bazaar through the main entrance, Gate 1.

Later, after the meeting with Kerim Bey, Bond leaves in the Rolls Royce again and the stalking Bulgar watches as Donald Grant drives off in the Citroën. The main entrance gate, Gate 1 where Bond and the chauffeur have entered earlier, is seen again through the wall behind the Bulgar, in the picture above.

Bond and Tania meet in Hagia Sophia - Istanbul

In From Russia With Love, Bond arranges a meeting with Tatiana Romanova in the Hagia Sophia (saint Sophia) where Tania is delivering a plan of the Russian consulate to Bond. Bond is blending in with a tourist group and watches Tania leave a powder compact by a pillar, for Bond to pick up. She is unaware that she has been followed by one of the Bulgars.

Tania is coming in between the pillars from the south gallery as Bond and a group of tourists pass the alabaster urn in the north west corner. However, Bond spots a Bulgar who has been following Tania to the Hagia Sophia and he hides behind a wall. The Bulgar is standing close to the north gallery, where Tania is heading.

As Bond signals to Tania where she shall leave her powder compact with Bond's information, a few of the large windows on the north wall are visible.  

It was constructed in 537 AD. Until 1453, when Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Empire, it served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and was the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople. It had remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years. When the Ottomans took over the cathedral was converted to a mosque. It was finally opened as a museum the the 1930's.

Because of the history of Hagia Sophia, or the Aya Sofya in Turkish, it is even more interesting to visit the church than it is as a Bond location. Needless to say, a cathedral constructed over 1500 years ago and the largest cathedral for almost a thousand years is a must see when in Istanbul. There is old Christian mosaic art preserved inside that is over one thousand years old.

As a Bond location, the Aya Sofya is perhaps a little less interesting than the Basilica cistern but the fact that it is a museum keeps the Bond locations inside almost untouched and well recognisable.

İstanbul Garı - Sirkeci Train Station

After escaping from the Russian consulate through Kerim's secret tunnel, Bond and his entourage come up very close to the Orient Express railway station in Istanbul, "İstanbul Garı".

As Bond, Tania and Kerim cross the street and run into the railway station, a fire truck is passing to give the impression that this place is located very close to the Russian consulate, where the fire is still going on. However, this location is on the other side of town from where the Russian consulate was located, namely in Sirkeci, a quarter located in the Eminönü neighborhood of the Fatih district.

The Terminal is located on the tip of Istanbul's historic peninsula right next to the Golden Horn and just northwest of Gülhane Park and the famous Topkapı Palace. The beautiful station, one of the most beautiful Bond locations in Istanbul, was built in 1890 by the Oriental Railway. Bond and Tania run across the street Ankara Caddesi and enter the station from the west entrance, and thus not the main entrance with faces the north. The kiosk where Kerim's men are waiting was located somewhere along Ankara Caddesi but the area has changed notably since 1963.

The Venice Simplon Orient Express still departs from the Sirkeci station and makes the famous original journey to Paris once a year.

Kerim's secret tunnel leads up to a small shop where his men are waiting. For some reason, the small kiosk apparently sells oranges and lemons (or fresh orange/lemon juice). Through the side door, Bond, Tania and Kerim come out on Ankara Caddesi that runs immediately in front of the Sirkeci station, from where the Orient Express departs. I have covered the station in an earlier post, here.

The kiosk where Bond, Tania and Kerim come out just opposite the railway station

Blowing up the Russian Consulate - Part 3

After blowing up the Russian consulate and stealing the Lector decoder in From Russia With Love, Bond and Tania escape through Kerim's secret passage underneath the consulate. The building, doubling for the Russian consulate in the film is located in the Şişli district in Istanbul, along Halaskargazi Caddesi number 161.

The house and the surrounding garden still looks the same as it did in 1963 and the surrounding fence and the entrance gate have not been changed although the gate has been given some new paint. This is one of a few fairly untouched locations in Istanbul.

As the firemen rush up to the house, a small part of the path in the garden is visible, as well as the actual building behind the smoke. This path, made up from small round stones is in the style of classic "pebble mosaic", a style that probably originated in ancient Greece and became widespread in the Byzantine Empire. This path can still be found on location today and the house does not appear to have been changed that much either.

During filming, the crew had major problems with crowds that flocked the streets, something that is apparent in several scenes filmed around the consulate and elsewhere in Istanbul. The firetruck during the filming of the burning consulate probably contributed to even more spectators. Thus, a lot of the people seen in the top picture were probably not hired extras.

Bond first arrives at the consulate late in the film, in a taxi. The taxi stops outside the entrance gate at Halaskargazi Caddesi and at the same time, the Şişli  mosque is visible in the far background. More on the long street and the mosque have been covered here in an earlier post.

Orient Express from Istanbul - Sirkeci station

When Bond and Tania escapes from the Russian consulate with the Lector decoder, they follow Kerim through the secret tunnels beneath the consulate where he is waiting for them. Kerim has planned the escape route and they all come up through a hatch in the floor in a small shop, which supposedly is located just opposite the Istanbul train station. They are escaping Istanbul on the Orient Express train and arrive at the platform just as the train is about to depart.

The Istanbul train station is definitely one of the more interesting Bond locations in Istanbul, and the place is filled with history. It is from this very station that the renowned Orient Express departed for Paris, for almost a hundred years. The Orient Express began service in 1883 by the company 'Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits'. In 1889 it started operations between Paris and Istanbul, the two cities that were the original endpoints of the service and that have most prominently become associated with the Orient Express.

When Bond and Romanova is running out on the platform in the station they are spotted by Commissar Benz from the Russian consulate. Benz is the Soviet security officer in Istanbul, also stationed at the consulate, who apparently watches the airports and train stations for defectors.

Commissar Benz is having tea with another man from the Russian consulate. He recognises Romanova and immediately understands that she is defecting to Bond. Before jumping on the train he orders his man to telephone the consulate and tell them that corporal Romanova has defected to England.

The cafe or restaurant where Benz is sitting is located on the platform and is part of the original station building. There is still a restaurant located in building today although the metal fence that screened off the cafe and the platform in the film has been removed. The facade of the building and the notable round windows are however still very recognisable.        

                       "- Telephone the Consulate!  
                               - Yes, yes! 
                        - Dear Corporal Romanova has defected to the English!" 
                                        - Benz and the other man (in Russian) - 

Even though the facade and exterior are very recognisable, the round windows are not seen in this first scene when Bond and Tania board the train, but later when the train makes the first stop in "Belgrade". Istanbul train station namely doubled for all the train stations in the film. The scenes both in Belgade, where Bond meets with one of Kerim's sons, and Zagreb, where Bond encounters Donald Grant for the first time (supposedly meeting with Captain Nash), were all filmed at this location. The different parts of the Sirkeci station that were used for the different train stations will be covered later.

"Now I'm sure Commissar Benz will have a much safer journey!"
                        - Ali Kerim -

Bond and Tania are entering the train station from the western entrance, which is located along the road Ankara Caddesi. Tania stops as she sees Benz at the cafe before Bond is pulling her away to the train.

The original Orient Express ceased already in 1977 but Belmond, a new private company still offers the original route from Paris to Istanbul today, with the original 1920's Orient Express carriages lovingly restored to its former glory. This Orient Express departs from Istanbul to Venice only once a year on the 2 September and a single ticket costs approximately €8500. This is probably the finest luxury experience the world has ever known.

It is obvious from the film that the train was rather shabby in 1963, at least by judging from the exterior of the train. How comfortable it really was back then is unknown.