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For sightseeing in Istanbul, Sultanahmet is
the most convenient place to stay, especially
if you're looking for a small Ottoman-style
inn, a cozy family pension or
a backpackers' hostel—but there
are luxury options here as well.
Actually Sultanahmet encompasses
a variety of neighborhoods surrounding
the historic Byzantine
Hippodrome and
the premier sights of Istanbul: Topkapi
Palace, Hagia
Sophia and the Blue
Mosque.
Hippodrome
The very center of Sultanahmet, with
the Blue Mosque on its southeast side,
the hotels here are as close as you
can possibly get to the major historical
sights on the peninsula of Old Istanbul.
More...
Divan Yolu
The ancient road to Rome extends from
Sultanahmet Square and the Hippodrome
westward to Beyazit Square. On its
north side are several hotels within
a 2- or 3-minute walk of the Hippodrome
in an area of narrow streets (some
pedestrian) crowded with restaurants.
More...
Cankurtaran
East and south of the Hippodrome toward the Bosphorus, a warren of streets
lined with hotels of all shapes, sizes
and degrees of comfort and price, from
backpackers' hostels to the elegant
5-star Four
Seasons Hotel Istanbul.
All are within a 5- to 10-minute walk
up a gradual hill to the Hippodrome.
More...
Sirkeci
Down the hill north of Sultanahmet along Alemdar Caddesi
on the way to Sirkeci
Station, this neighborhood
has two dozen hotels in all price ranges, and
more than a dozen restaurants from cheap to fancy.
A 10-minute walk or a short tram ride takes you uphill
to Sultanahmet, or north to Sirkeci Station, the
Eminönü ferry
docks, and Galata
Bridge. More...
Ahirkapi/Çatladikapi
At the far eastern/southern extent
of Cankurtaran right by the Byzantine
city walls and the shore highway,
this district has several good hotels
with virtues that make the extra
few minutes' walk (8 to 12 minutes
uphill to the Hippodrome) worth it.
Küçük
Ayasofya
On and off
Küçük
Ayasofya Caddesi, the street running
downhill from the Blue
Mosque's Arasta
Bazaar to
the Little
Hagia Sophia Mosque,
and neighboring Nakilbent Sokak,
there are a dozen hotels in all classes,
all convenient to the Hippodrome.
Binbirdirek
Just west of the Hippodrome up the hill is a small park beneath
which lies Binbirdirek, the Byzantine
Cistern of 1001 Columns. Facing the
park and on neighboring Klodfarer Caddesi
are several good hotels, some with
fine views and moderate prices.
Piyer Loti Caddesi
West of Binbirdirek, south of Divan
Yolu, Piyer Loti Caddesi is a
partly-pedestrianized street, therefore
fairly quiet, and lined with good
3- and 4-star hotels.
Kadirga
South and west of Binbirdirek and Piyer
Loti, this neighborhood has a variety
of lodgings on narrow streets in
a real Istanbul-Turkish (not tourist)
neighborhood. It's a 10- or 15-minute
walk uphill to
the Hippodrome.
Beyazit
Farther west, south of Beyazit Square
near the Grand Bazaar, are several
good modern quiet hotels near shopping
and the tram line, with lower prices,
and still only a 12- to 15-minute
walk from the Hippodrome along historic
Divan Yolu.
If you already have the name of
a hotel and want to know more
about it, see my Istanbul
Hotel Index.
If you're looking for a hotel, choose
a category:
5-STAR
LUXURY (€250
and up per room): the best
of everything—at a price. Details...
4-STAR
COMFORT (€80
to €200 double): luxury
and all the comforts, but without
a few of the frills. Details...
OTTOMAN
INNS (€80
to €200): charming
restored Ottoman townhouses
and mansions with all the modern
conveniences. (Most are officially
rated 'S' (Special), but would
normally rate 3 or 4 stars for
comfort and facilities.)
3-STAR
CONVENIENCE (€60
to €100 double): comfortable
but not elaborate: why pay for
services you won't use? Details...
2-STAR
THRIFT (€40
to €80 double): surprisingly
comfy—great value for money. Details...
1-STAR
ECONOMY (€20
to €60 double): adequate
and inexpensive hotels and pensions,
often with private bath. Details...
NO-STAR
CAMARADERIE (€6
to €25 per bed): floor
space, dorm beds, private rooms
(some even with private bath),
and a surprising range of services
from travel agency to belly-dancing. Details...
You can take a look at your hotel's
location using my Sultanahmet
Street Guide.
Check
Rates & Availability on Venere
Sultanahmet
Street Guide
Sultanahmet
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