GO ISTANBUL
BY METTE LOMHOLDT
Traditional and trendy. God-fearing and glamorous. Istanbul, once the queen of all cities, has a split personality. One part of its heart is in Europe and the other part in Asia, geographically and culturally. Istanbul offers great adventures. Every minute in the city provides you with 1001 impressions.
OH - NO GO
Organized guided tours to “special” carpet sellers.
GO AREAS
The city has one foot in Europe and one foot in Asia. Old traditions and new tendencies influence each other constantly. Consequently, Istanbul is regarded as being the world’s most liberal Muslim city.
Past and present, modernity and decline live side by side in Istanbul. Decaying buildings are everywhere. Windows without glass panes staring gloomily out at the streets. The facades are in dire need of a paint job and it seems like they will crumble at a single glance. But Istanbul also offers high fashion and lots of stylish restaurants and cafés, which can easily compete with those of other big western cities.
It is not easy to find your way around the city. The signposting is sparse in several parts of town; a lot of the smaller streets are not marked on the tourist maps and the streets turn and twist like a labyrinth. Much too often, we found ourselves completely lost. But each time we stopped to look at our map, people came to ask if they could help us out.
The Turks’ hospitality and great helpfulness is a true trademark.
Nonetheless, the first thing you should do is to buy a good map of the city. It is really worthwhile.
You will easily get engulfed in Istanbul. Here comes an outline of the principal areas of the city, focusing mainly on the European side:
Sultanahmet
The old part of town with all the fabulous historical buildings like The Blue Mosque and the Sultan’s Palace.
The area is characterized by the narrow cobbled streets with lots of hotels, carpet sellers, bazaars and Mosques. Also several good restaurants and cafés, but compared to Beyoglu or Taksim, the area is quiet at night.
Beyoglu and Taksim
These areas are lively around the clock. This is where you find the modern Istanbul with lots of shops and fancy restaurants. Streets and alleys are luring with belly dance shows, strip joints, rock'n'roll venues and galleries. The pedestrian street Istiklal Caddesi is packed with small restaurants, cafés and bars.
Cukurcuma and Cihangir
Two up-and-coming areas that attract the bohemians. Every day new shops and restaurants are cropping up here.
Eminönü and Cagaloglu
Lively areas, particularly Eminönü, where many boats sail out. All year round, people are fishing at the harbor and the smell of fish mixes with the spices from Spicy Bazar.
Tünel and Karaköy
These areas have steep stairways and streets, where you can easily lose your orientation. But it’s not a problem, since you will discover lots of exciting and lively streets with wonderful restaurants.
This is also where you can find the best view over the city, from The Galata Tower.
Besiktas and Ortaköy
In the summer, this is the best place to go for a breath of fresh air – and for partying.
The Asian Part
See ”What to see and do” - on sailing on the Bosporus.
GO SEE & DO
Historical day... or if you will; 1001 nights
The district Sultanahmed - beautifully situated in the foreland between The Golden Horn and the Marmara Sea - is an enigmatic mosaic of ancient streets and impressive cultural treasures. You should set aside the necessary time to see Hagia Sofia, The Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace, also known as the Sultan’s Palace.
If you don’t have enough time for everything, you should choose the Topkapi Palace/The Sultan’s Palace, which will set you in an atmosphere of 1001 Nights.
The palace was the headquarters for the sultans of the Ottoman Empire through three millenniums and is a small city in itself.
The palace consists of many large and smaller buildings, and in order to go through it all, count on spending around three hours here.
You will find green spaces, mosaics, gold and the treasury in which you can see precious stones the size of plums, extravagant ornamentation for turbans and a diamond so big it will take your breath away.
Most impressive of all is the harem section. Harem means “the forbidden” in Arabic, and it marks the palace’s private section, where the sultan and his family lived together with hundreds of odalisques.
It costs an extra 10 YTL to enter the harem, but it’s worth it, since it’s really in here that you get the scent of 1001 nights.
The mother of the Sultan controlled the harem in a merciless manner, and it was the center of the worse intrigues and murderous conspiracies. The Sultan Murat III (1574–95) had 103 children, and only one could inherit the crown. You can imagine the battle for the throne while you are led through all the extravagant rooms filled with marble, glitter, gold and mosaics.
Just like many other places in Istanbul, the Sultans of course had a spectacular view over the Bosporus. If you need a break, there is a restaurant and a café from where you can enjoy the marvelous view from the palace.
Konyali is the name of the combined café and restaurant. You can content yourself with an overpriced cup of coffee and a few little Turkish snacks – or you can have lunch or dinner in the restaurant that serves Turkish specialties.
If you set aside more time to immerge in history and experience magnificent places, you are ready to see the Blue Mosque. Which is more than a mere remnant from days gone by, since it’s still a mosque for active Muslims.
The building is impressive with the cupolas and its six minarets. The mosque is a huge space full of marble and mosaics; your head will be swimming when you lean back to look towards the cupola above you.
The mosque is open for visitors. As a woman, remember to dress decently, which means in pants or a long skirt and your hair covered. As a man, forget about wearing shorts. Everybody has to leave their shoes in a little bag. You visit the place on bare feet or socks.
Surrounding the Blue Mosque is a large green space. We were lucky to visit Istanbul at the time of the Ramadan, when the entire area is transformed into a giant public party in the evening. There were hundreds of food stalls, family picnics on the lawn, water pipe smoking men and games for children.
Right next to the Blue Mosque is Hagia Sophia, which is one of the world’s most beautiful buildings and the oldest one in Istanbul. It is constructed as a church between 532-537 AD converted into a mosque in 1453. The enormous building is quiet simply breath-taking in its shapes, materials, colors and mosaics.
The Topkapi Palace/The Sultan’s Palace. Sultanahmet
Open 9am-4pm. Closed on Tuesdays.
The Blue Mosque, Meydad Sokak. Sultanahmet
Open 9am – 9pm (7pm Nov-April).
Hagia Sophia, Ayasofya Müzesi, Sultanahmet
Open 9am – 7pm. Closed on Mondays
The Grand Bazar
The Grand Bazar is the largest bazaar in Istanbul, and it really is enormous.
You can find anything your heart desires, not to mention all the stuff you didn’t know it desired!
Meters of gold, thousands of different kinds of buttons, fake handbags, ceramics and tin – bathed in the smell of spices.
There are almost 6000 shops in the bazaar and more than 1000 of them are gold sellers.
One of Momondo’s favorite places is the area around Perdahcilar Sk, where you can buy belly dancer costumes. Another thing worth looking for are the great bath accessories like hamam slippers, soaps and all sorts of gloves for scrubbing. Find and check out:
Abdulla + Hamam, Halicilar Carsisi Caddesi 53.
If you’re looking for carpets, go to Adnan & Hasan, Halicilar Carsisi Caddesi 89-90-92
Or if you want to bring home pretty handmade dolls, you should pay a visit to Deli Kizin Yeri, Halicilar Carsisi Caddesi 42
A trip to the bazaar is overwhelming. You will get lots of ”special price for you”, and you have to be in the mood for the visit. Because you will have to say no over and over again – and haggle big-time.
The early morning, when the bazaar wakes and the booths and streets are washed and swept, is a good time to visit – if you want the quiet version. If not, Saturday night is a great time. The bazaar is closed on Sundays, so Saturday evening you can be lucky to make a good bargain.
Sail on the Bosporus
Istanbul is synonymous with water. The Bosporus strait is the lifeline of the city. The fish are caught here and the strait is constantly full of huge container ships.
Without going on a sailing trip on the Bosporus, you will not really catch the essence of Istanbul.
At the quay in Eminönü, you board the public boat that sails in a zigzag between the European and the Asian sides all the way up to Anadolu Kavagi, a small Asian fishing village.
The boat leaves three times a day: at 10.35 am, 12 am and 1.35 pm.
We recommend that you go on the early boat, so you can go all the way to Anadolu Kavagi and have lunch, laze for a few hours and return aboard the boat.
As a tourist, you will not be alone onboard. The locals use the boat for transportation, but there are also quiet a few tourists that go. But the trip is amazing. As you sit on the deck you will witness the strait with the small dinghies and fishermen, the big boats surrounded by seagulls and the huge container ships.
The trip is also a good way to experience the difference between the Asian and the European parts of Istanbul. The first time the boat puts in at a port on the Asian side, you can sense the lower pulse.
First stop on the Asian side is Kanlica; a posh port with lost of resorts on the waterfront. The place is known for its rich yogurt. And this is also where one of Istanbul’s finest seafood restaurants is located; Körfez, Körfez Caddessi 78, is open for lunch and dinner – and really worth visiting.
Next stop is Yeniköy on the European side. A popular vacation spot for many years.
Sariyer – also on the European side – is next stop. Here you can find an impressive fish market, a lot of shops and urban life. So don’t go here if you want a quiet day in the country away from Istanbul.
The penultimate stop is sleepy Rumeli Kavagi, which is mostly brought to life when the boat puts in.
Last stop is Anadolu Kavagi, a small Asian fishing village with lots of good restaurants. The moment you arrive, it is easy to think that you have fallen into a tourist trap. There are plenty of restaurants and lots of people who will try to convince you to go to their place.
But if you go a little further, you will find some very nice places where the locals will go as well.
We recommend Baba Restaurant, which is to the left of the pier (with the ocean behind you), all the way down around the police station. It is a five-minute walk to get there. Sit at one of the tables that are almost in the water.
The food is tasty and the fish incredibly fresh. As an appetizer, you should taste their Haydari – yogurt with dill and garlic.
The fish is served uncut. And if you visit the place between September and January, try the fish lüfer (Blue Fish) which is best at that time of the year.
Tickets for the sailing trip on the Bosporus can be bought on the port, to the right of the big bridge, when your back is turned towards the old part of town. If you want to sit on the deck or get a window seat, you should get there at least one hour before departure.
The sail costs around 7,5 euro. Check the schedule at: www.ido.com.tr
Istanbul Modern
To cut a long story short: A fascinating museum where you can get a glimpse of modern Turkey.
The rough building is located on the quay in a Klondike area and the collection regroups art from the beginning of last century up until now, with some of the most provocative contemporary art.
The museum also houses a formidable restaurant/café which is perfect both in the morning, at noon and in the evening. The food is amazing and from the terrace you have a fabulous view over the Golden Horn and the historical Istanbul.
The cuisine has an Italian inspiration. Try the grilled salmon served with mashed potatoes with basil and nutmeg and lemon-marinated salad. Or thin slices of tender lamb on a bed of salad and parmesan.
Istanbul Modern,
Meclis-i Mebusan Caddesi
www.istanbulmodern.org
Hamam
You can’t leave Istanbul without having had a bath and a good scrub behind your ears. You have to grant yourself a thorough body wash in a Turkish bath, also known as Hamam.
This involves steam, marble, massage and meditation – and a look into a thousand years old and unique tradition.
Hamams are everywhere in Istanbul – and even though it may sound boring, we recommend that if it’s your first time, you go to one of the more touristy places. At these places you will find lists of the different treatments, so you know what to expect in the steam.
We went to Cagaloglu Hamami, one of the city’s oldest bathhouses and probably the most beautiful one. It has separate departments for men and women.
We paid 30 euros for a scrub, a wash and a massage – and a little extra for a special scrubbing glove. We tried out both the men’s and the women’s department.
From the moment you step into the hamam, the staff will take over and lead you firmly through your treatment. To begin with, you go to your private changing room where you undress and put on a cloth and wooden flip-flops with a leather strap.
Then you get to the heart of the hamam; the big space with the cupola. You can lie down and relax in the steam or you can sit by one of the big marble sinks, turn on the golden faucet and pour the warm water over your body.
A relaxing sensation spreads in your body, condensed water drips from the walls and your breathing gets slower. It is peaceful to sit in the big room where only a little daylight is let in.
After fifteen minutes, the masseur or the masseuse shows up. At the men’s, it was a short fat gentleman with a big moustache. At the women’s it was a big lady (also with a moustache!) in a bathing suit.
Then you are placed on the plateau. In the women’s department, your cloth is removed and in the men’s, you are allowed to keep it to cover your private parts. Now the massage and the wash can begin.
You get scrubbed from top to toe and the only bad thing about it is the color of the water that falls from your body. Don’t think of where the black stuff comes from!
The massage is really quite something. Each muscle is kneaded thoroughly. All done in and dizzy, you are brought on to one of the big marble sinks, where you get washed again and will have your hair washed.
If you visit one of the more touristy places, like this one, the masseur will probably ask you if you want an extra treatment for a special price.
At the end, you sit in the steam and collect yourself for about five minutes before you continue to the drying room, where you will be rubbed in a towel from top to toe and have your hair set in a turban.
Back in the street, all red and clean as a baby!
Cagaloglu Hamami
www.cagalogluhamami.com.tr
GO EAT
The Turkish kitchen is a mix of traditional food from Central Asia and Mediterranean cuisine.
But first and foremost, Istanbul offers seafood, and in this city you have a chance to taste the most delicious fish dishes. Usually you are presented with the fish still alive or lying on ice and you choose which one should end up on your plate.
And then Istanbul means kebab, kebab and more kebab. In Turkey, kebab is more that just a fast meal at a street kitchen. The word kebab represents hundreds of different dishes and even the most fancy restaurants serve some kind of kebab.
You can have shish kebab (pieces of meat threaded on a skewer and grilled) or doner kebab (pieces of lamb packed tightly around a revolving spit).
Once you have tasted a delicious kebab it’s easy to get addicted. My advice is to try as many as possible. Try out the kebab in a class of its own with pistachios or the Iskender kebab in the restaurant Hamdi Et Lokantasi.
In general: If you don’t understand the name of a dish or if you don’t know what it is, you will often be invited to go to the kitchen and choose directly from the dishes and the pots.
Traditional Turkish breakfast consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, feta-like cheese, olives, honey and bread. In all its simplicity, it’s fantastic.
Your sweet tooth can be satisfied by a Turkish delight; the Turkish candies with a jelly like consistency and a taste so sweet that it sets your teeth on edge.
Turkish coffee is served in small espresso-like cups. Remember not to drink it up, since the thick coffee grounds are at the bottom.
Otherwise you should do as the Turks do and drink lots of tea. Black tea with plenty of sugar. At some places they serve apple tea as well, but that’s only for tourists.
Wine is expensive. The national drink, Raki, bears a resemblance to the French pastis or the Greek ouzo. Cut it with water or ice and drink it with your appetizers (meze).
There are many restaurants in Istanbul – and lots of good ones. And plenty that are similar to one another and that are all right, but not spectacular.
The following suggestions are all restaurants that will not disappoint:
360 Istanbul
From the hectic pedestrian street Istiklal Caddesi, you take the elevator up to “360” and pass the metal detector before entering a huge room entirely surrounded by glass panes.
The view is unique and one of the reasons for 360’s popularity. From the terrace you have a 360 degrees view over Istanbul, which is quite a spectacular sight.
In the middle of the space is a DJ booth. At the bar they conjure up the most amazing cocktails – and according to the Muslim style, also quite a few virgin drinks. Try the ginger, apple and carrot drink.
The place is mainly a restaurant, but also a great and very popular nightclub, so make sure you book a table.
The menu is international with a mix of food from every continent – perhaps too much of a mix. You can get duck dim sum, chicken satay, polenta-crusted calamari with almond aioli, grilled sardines in vine leaves as well as "East" and "West" pasta dishes: Asian-style glass noodles or Italian squid-ink tagliatelle. The food is good – but not amazing. But the service is attentive and furiously paced. And if you’re cold on the terrace, you will get - not just an ordinary blanket - but a pashmina to keep you warm.
360,
Istiklal Caddesi, 32/309, Mısır Apt., 8th floor
www.360istanbul.com
Balikci Sabahattin
One of the city’s best fish restaurants is not situated on the waterfront, but located in an old wooden three-storey house in the old part of town, Sultanahmet.
They do not serve fish from fish farms, but the owner is connected with three divers who all year round deliver the best fish available to the restaurant. In the summer, there is a huge courtyard where you sit under a “roof” of fish net, vine and dried corncobs.
Once you are seated, the waiter will bring you a dish of small appetizers and you choose what you want. And pick plenty, because they’re delicious! You can dig your teeth into mashed beans with dill, feta, marinated squids, small filled tomatoes and melon.
Then the waiter will present you with a tray of fresh fish on ice. You choose the one you want and a little later (or on busy nights, much later...) the fish will come back to you, this time grilled.
The place is popular with both locals and tourists, so you have to book your table in advance.
Balikci Sabahattin,
Seyit Hassan Kuyu Sokak 50
Kebab in an alley
There are lots of great restaurants in Istanbul. But even if a gourmet meal can be fabulous, it can be just as fabulous to walk in the footsteps of the locals and eat in one of the small kebab bars.
One evening, we went down an alley and found an incredible little place, where you are sitting under the vine in the middle of the crowd of people.
You choose your food in the kitchen, glancing over the chef’s shoulder: Various hot dishes such as lamb with vegetables, filled peppers and many different kinds of kebab.
The food is simple but tasty. And cheap. We had several appetizers, two main courses and finished with hot tea – and paid 16 Euros.
Et-Is Lokanta Klasisk,
Hocapasa Sok. 25, Sirkeci
Lokanta
A doorman verifies that we’re on the guest list before he grants us access to one of the city’s hippest food temples.
The minimalist Lokanta is the darling of the young and talented chef, Mehmet Gürs. He is part Finnish and part Turkish and he is Turkey’s answer to Jamie Oliver. The food here is a fusion from the different continents with a strong influence from Mediterranean cuisine.
On weekends, Lokanta is transformed into a nightclub. Istanbul’s trendy elite arrives in masses. Men in Burberry shirts and women in tight dresses and stilettos. On the lower floor, the DJ Lil Louis pumps up the volume for the wriggling masses on the dance floor, who go crazy to Lenny Kravitz’ hits.
Lokanta,
Mesrutiyet 149/1
Hamdi Reastaurant
In Eminönü, with yet another spectacular view over the water, you will find one of Istanbul’s best kebab places.
From the moment you are seated at the table with the white cloth, you can smell the seasoned dishes.
Efficient waiters in white shirts are carrying small Turkish pizzas and loads of kebab dishes to the tables. The kebab is made from minced lamb and pistachios and it’s fabulous.
Hamdi Et Lokantasi,
Tahmis Caddesi 17 Kalçın Sokak, Eminönü
www.hamdirestorant.com.tr/hamdien.htm
Check out...
And perhaps the very best (and most expensive!) place to eat fish:
Kiyi Restaurant,
Kefeliköy Caddesi 126
www.kiyi.com.tr
The best meze (appetizers) in the city, you will get at:
Zarifi,
Çukurlu Çe me Sokak 13
www.zarifi.com.tr
The perfect spot for a Sunday brunch:
LEB-I DERYA,
Kumbaracı Yoku 115/7
www.lebiderya.com/lebiderya/eng/1_2_index.html#
GO SHOP
There are lots of places to shop in Istanbul. Momondo has a preference for exploring the bazaars, where you can find stuff that is not available anywhere else – as opposed to the more western shops of the city.
In the neighborhoods Nisantasi and Tesvikiye, two of Istanbul’s most swanky shopping areas, there are only a few steps between the big luxury cars and the small lap dogs.
The exclusive brand stores offer the latest fashion from Gucci, Max Mara, Armani and Louis Vuitton. Boutiques and specialized shops stock everything from Turkish wines to leopard-spotted sneakers. In the interior design store Pasabahce, you can find both modern Turkish design and a collection of glasses inspired by the Ottoman tradition.
Two shops in Atiye Sokak carry the name of the designer Gönül Paksoys. She interprets Ottoman design in a new fashion for her clothes and jewelry collections. The result is unique. The assortment at Bashqua Concept Shop consists of furniture, arts and crafts, clothes, bags and jewelry.
In the pedestrian street Istiklal Caddesi you will find a lot of smaller shops and chain stores. One of them is Marni, the Turkish jeans, which since 1991 has grown into a huge exportation success. There are two stores in Istiklal Caddesi with a huge selection.
This is also where you will find the most wonderful shop selling Turkish delight: Inci Pastanesi in number 124/2.
Besides that, we recommend that you explore the many bazaars, like Grand Bazar.(SEE “WHAT TO DO”)
The Egyptian spice bazaar in the area Eminönü represents a true palette of colors, sounds, smells and taste experiences. The tables are abounding with cinnamon, saffron and ginger. You are walking under vines of clove seed, passing heaps of cheese, piles of caviar and booths full of strange cakes. In the pet department, chickens are peeping in chorus with yellow ducks and sultan birds. You can buy paprika plants, lawnmowers, dog food, belt buckles and tin buckets. Everything is for sale.
GO NIGHT
It’s hard to be bored in Istanbul – the city is full of small, sly spots, restaurants transforming into clubs and lots of very hip places that can easily compete with their Mediterranean equivalents in St. Tropez. In the summer, the most intense nightlife takes place outdoors on huge roof terraces with spectacular views over the city and the water.
There are lots of places to go out and party – seek out the small side streets around Istiklal Caddesi, where you will easily get in the party mood. Check out:
360º
Istiklal Caddesi is one of the cooler alternatives to the Bosporus clubs. (SEE “GO EAT”)
360,
Istiklal Caddesi, 32/309, Mısır Apt., 8th floor
www.360istanbul.com
Babylon
The city’s top venue for live music, guitar bands and international DJs.
Babylon,
Seyhbender Street 3, Tünel
www.babylon.com.tr
Nardis Jazz Club
Is the best place to get a sample of Istanbul’s surprisingly thriving jazz scene.
Nardis Jazz Club,
Kuledibi Sok 14, Galata
www.nardisjazz.com
Yesil Ev Beer Garden
In Sultanahmet you will find Yesil Ev Beer Garden, a perfect spot for hanging out after sightseeing and as a warm-up to partying, while looking out at the minarets of The Blue Mosque.
Yesil Ev Beer Garden,
Kabasakal Caddesi 5
Blackk Istanbul
One of the new and hip places in the city with a view of the Bosporus. The place houses three different concepts under the same roof: the Blackk restaurant, the Blackk Club and Levendis Tavern, which is located on the balcony.
You must go here for partying. If you order a bottle of Absolut Vodka, it will be served in a disco ball.
Blackk Istanbul,
Muallim Naci Cad. 119
www.blackk.net
GO SLEEP
Bentley Hotel
Istanbul’s hippest hotel is the Bentley. The Milan architects, Piero Lissoni and Nicoletta Canesi, are responsible for the interior design, which is simple and beautiful with big windows to let all the daylight in.
The hotel’s 40 rooms and 10 suites are tastefully decorated in a simple design of brown, gray and white nuances. A bit too neat in my opinion, but stylish.
On the second floor you will find the lobby and a lounge with a DJ and a bar. The restaurant on the third floor serves inspiring food; a mix of eastern and western cuisine. Try the smoked tomato soup with aioli and the Turkish meatballs and kebab with yogurt.
Bentley Hotel, 200 euros and up
Halaskargazi Caddesi 75, Harbiye, Nisantasi
www.bentley-hotel.com
Pera Palas
A mysterious light is shining from the windows at Hotel Pera Palas, which has survived two world wars.
The hotel was built in 1892 and it was the last glamorous stop on the Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul. Kings, presidents, spies and prostitutes were sitting side by side in the Orient Express Bar, which hasn’t changed much in the last 115 years.
Many of the hotel rooms are named after famous guests who have stayed here. Agatha Christie wrote her famous novel “Murder on the Orient Express” in room number 411. And the beloved Turkish president, Atatürk, has stayed several times in room 101, which is a museum today.
If you want to feel history’s whirr of wings with a touch of mystery, Pera Palas is the place to go.
And even if you don’t stay at the hotel, drop by the Orient Express Bar.
Hotel Pera Palas, 100 euros and up
Mesrutiyet Caddesi 98-100
www.perapalas.com
Hotel Zeugma
In the oldest part of Istanbul, Sultanahmet, you can find many good small cheap hotels.
Hotel Zeugma is a good suggestion in this area.
There are no fancy designer furniture in any of the ten rooms. They are just simple – and clean.
The rooms vary in size, and so do the rates. We stayed in one of the hotel’s biggest rooms at 80 euros. A nice room with a marvelous view over the Straits of Bosporus. It is enchanting to wake up to the view of the sun reflecting on the water.
The breakfast buffet is served in the hotel’s covered terrace. And while you’re eating your traditional Turkish breakfast (feta, tomato, cucumber, honey and egg) you look out at the Blue Mosque.
The hotel’s staff is extremely kind and they are pleased to tell you about the city and the best transportation and will go to great lengths to let you have the best stay possible.
Free internet and if you haven’t brought your own PC, you can use the one in the lobby, where the host will be happy to serve you tea while you’re surfing the net.
Hotel Zeugma, between 45 and 90 euros
Akbiyik 35, Sultanahmet
www.zeugmahotel.com
Hotel Empress Zoe
This hotel is a little treasure where you really get value for your money.
All rooms are decorated differently with many stylish details like mosaics, embroidered bedspreads and hand carved door handles. Each bathroom is ornamented with marble or terracotta and the most expensive rooms are almost small hamams.
The Penthouse Suite has a private terrace with a view of the Blue Mosque.
The hotel is managed by the owner Ann Nevans, who takes care of the place as if it were her own home.
From the hotel’s restaurant there is an amazing view over the Bosporus and the many mosques.
The hotel is very popular and has only 22 rooms, so you should book well in advance.
Hotel Empress Zoe, between 75 and 200 euros
Adliye Sokak 10, Sultanahmet
www.emzoe.com
A´jai
In this hotel, every single guest gets the VIP treatment
The hotel is situated on the Asian side of the Bosporus in a small town: Kanlica. So if you strive to be in the center of the hectic urban atmosphere, this is not the place to go. But if you’re looking for luxury, an amazing view over the water and easy access to the center of Istanbul – and if you can afford it - A´jia is the perfect spot.
All 16 rooms are kept in cream colors with dark furniture, huge beds, air-con and several of the rooms have their own terrace with a view over the Bosporus.
A´jia, 250 euros and up
Kanlica-Cubuklu Caddesi 27
www.ajiahotel.com
TRANSPORT
Getting to and from the airport
Istanbul's main airport, Atatürk International, is modern and easy to navigate around in.
The easiest way to get into town is by taxi. It costs around 15 Euros to get to the center.
Getting around in Istanbul
Traffic in Istanbul is often one big traffic jam with cars honking their horns.
The best way to get around is by foot (but watch out!) or by taxi.
Taxies are cheap and reliable, and there are plenty.
Public transportation is not too impressive nor extended. But there’s a tram that goes from the old town over the bridge and up to Taksim. If you are going somewhere along this route, jump aboard, it is preferable to walking. A ticket costs 1,3 YTL.
Another great way to get around is by boat. Most people go from Eminönü (on the Sultanahmet side) and Karaköy (on the Beyoglu side).
Links to make your stay in Istanbul a lot easier...
www.istanbulcityguide.com
www.istanbul.com
www.mymerhaba.com