Depo is a non-profit arts centre occupying a converted tobacco warehouse in Tophane, between Karaköy and Beyoğlu. It hosts exhibitions, talks, and events focusing on contemporary social and political themes — refugee issues, urban space, minority rights, Kurdish culture — with a seriousness and intellectual rigour that distinguishes it from commercial galleries. Entry is free or cheap and the programming is consistently interesting.
The building itself is worth seeing: a three-storey warehouse with exposed brick and industrial fittings repurposed as a cultural space. The surrounding Tophane area, between Karaköy and the Kabataş ferry, has become a cluster of contemporary art galleries in repurposed industrial buildings, making a short gallery circuit possible on foot.