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  • Come Fly With Me: Shades of Istanbul

    Come Fly With Me: Shades of Istanbul

    Meera Ashish shuttles between her home bases in Dubai, London and Uganda, making huge detours along the way…

    Meera Ashish

    ciragan palace kempinski hotel istanbul 389360

    Standing in a jam-packed tram in Istanbul on a Saturday afternoon, let’s just say, is not fun! When you’re used to the London Underground, you’re brave enough to travel on any other Metro system … It’s a good way to explore a new city and get a glimpse of real day-to-day life. But Istanbul was not quite the mix of East and West I had expected. The streets were not reflective of the chaotic life that I imagined as part of cities in Asia — rather, they were more attuned to their relaxed European counterparts. But the rush hour on the tram revealed the less-European instincts of the locals.

    In London you get rowdiness. In Mumbai, the ladies in the ladies-only carriages literally push each other on and off, which can be entertaining and annoying. The Metro in Dubai can often get hot and sweaty. But in Istanbul, the men make the experience of travelling on a train or a tram highly undesirable, which probably explains why we spotted so few women. My friend and I moved inwards when it dawned on us that the close proximity of the men was not due only to the lack of space. It made me wonder why Istanbul had not adopted the Asian, or Indian, culture of having separate carriages for women. Even Dubai has carriages just for women and children. I’ve been on the Metro in Paris, Spain, New York and Mumbai, but I have never faced this kind of discomfort (nothing to do with odours and sweat, of course).

    I had not planned to start my tales of this city by writing about this one aspect. Let me tell you some more about this trip — a trip that is linked inextricably to one shady book that came by recommendation, and I did no research to find out what it was all about.

    First, I did manage to see in such a short time, various tones and shades of Istanbul, due mostly to the fact that I was with friends who wanted to cram in as much as possible from the Bosphorus cruise to shopping at the Bazaar to a Turkish bath to food and, of course, nightlife. But the agenda was often happily distracted by the girly chatter that had not been indulged in for much too long.

    Article continues below

    Rushing down ten minutes before breakfast ended always set the relaxed tone of the day, and then, of course, we would sit at breakfast at the House Hotel for an hour before heading out into the chic outdoors of Nisantasi. The few things I’ll remember about Istanbul is sitting by the Bosphorus at the Kempinski Ciragan Palace having afternoon tea; a pianist coordinating melodiously with the chorus of birds, the moving sails just visible beyond the pool and umbrellas; of course, dinner at the most picturesque Ulus29 which overlooks the river; the twinkling city on the opposite bank and two gleaming bridges on either side; and the next day at Munferit, a romantic alfresco setting with tables spilling on to the street, located in the Beyoglu. And then dancing at Reina, where we were literally looking up closely at the details of one end of the bridge, where the barman was kind enough to give me a plate of cut fruit, and eating salad at 3 in the morning just because … well, just because.

    — Follow Meera Ashish on talefourcities.com and @meeraashish

    via gulfnews : Come Fly With Me: Shades of Istanbul.

  • Istanbul: Beautiful and affordable

    By Khadijah Bawazeer

    As time goes by, we abandon old affiliations and develop new ones. Due to the Arab Spring in Egypt and Syria and its repercussions in Lebanon, the three most favorite tourist destinations in the Middle East have become undesirable, so people are discovering Turkey. Istanbul is witnessing flocks of tourists from neighboring areas, mainly Arabs. European tourism has been going on for some time, and European tourists come to Turkey almost all the year round but especially when their countries are very cold. They come to Turkey for its relative warmth, which is still too cold for people from hot countries. However, from May to September, the weather in Turkey is just cool enough and if you prefer very warm weather then you should go in June and July.

    Istanbul is the only city in the word divided between two continents.

    It is the juncture between two worlds; no wonder everyone in history wanted to occupy it. The European side of Istanbul has the historic palace of Topkapi, the Blue Mosque, and the old historic area of Sultan Ahmed.

    This area constitutes the essence of Istanbul. You will find many of the great mosques there, the Egyptian Bazaar and the Grand Bazaar, which dwarfs all other souks both in merchandize and magnitude. Yet the Asian part of Istanbul is the place you may want to stay in because it is quieter and less expensive than the European part.

    When visiting Turkey, you can start with Istanbul then visit some of the beautiful islands nearby, go to the beach and walk around the beach parks or visit other Turkish cities such as Bursa and Izmir.

    Turkey seems to be a country of rich beauty and refinement even in the countryside. The country, in general, and Istanbul, in particular, have a lot to offer from beautiful beaches to great museums and from affordability to great food.

    However, it is more expensive than one might think; so though prices are not too expensive, they are not cheap either. Local merchants and tour guides can spot tourists and ask for more than they would ask from locals. It would be great if you knew someone Turkish so that they could help you. However, there is something to appreciate about Turkish people anywhere. They do not nag, neither do they beg. If you say that you are not interested, they will let you be.

    My trip to Turkey, much overdue, was unforgettable. I have been around the world and if not for the cold winters, this is a place I would not mind to be. I was overwhelmed by the historic grandeur of Istanbul. Yet I could not stop myself from thinking that the Sultans must have been too rich for words, which necessarily means that someone else must have been very poor. I am not sure, but this seems to me a possible, if not a plausible, conclusion.

    The writer can be reached at khadijah_bawazeer@yahoo.com.

    via Saudi Gazette – Istanbul: Beautiful and affordable.

  • Exploring another era

    Exploring another era

    By Isabel Conway

    IstanbulTHERE are places one loves before ever seeing them. Istanbul, an ancient metropolis astride two continents, is a good example, conjuring up romance and mystery, a marriage of east and west, both exotic and familiar to western eyes.

    So I was already half in love with Istanbul as our minibus lurched across chaotic lanes of traffic from Ataturk International airport. Gleaming high-rise office complexes, crumbling ancient walls, threadbare neighbourhoods clinging precariously to hillsides, and a multitude of minarets looking like finely pointed giant pencils looming in the distance, flashed past.

    There are surprises around every corner. One minute you may be window shopping next to stylish young women in micro skirts and 10-inch heels, the next downcast shrouded females in black burqas are hurrying past. The Istanbul ‘Luas’-style public transport crammed with commuters is but a street removed from the hamals (porters) hired to carry enormous loads on wooden pack frames trudging through narrow, cobbled lanes as they have done for centuries.

    A former stomping ground of wildly extravagant Sultans — one kept more than a thousand women in his harem — aristocrats, adventurers, and spies, this last great city of the ancient world was also the final destination for the old Orient Express.

    Nowadays Turkey is a global player — one of the world’s top 16 industrialised nations — exuding confidence and prosperity as much of western Europe battles economic malaise. I saw no abandoned development sites nor shuttered-up bankrupt businesses during a recent visit, either. A feature of Istanbul’s shoreline are multi-million-euro villas and penthouses, and five-star luxury hotels, in one of which guests actually fork out €30,000 a night for a suite.

    Insiders rave about the precious legacy of Byzantine churches, opulent Ottoman palaces, majestic mosques and the Bosphorus which slices through the city, dividing Istanbul between Europe and Asia. In days gone by, travellers, drawn by Istanbul’s classical wonders, would arrive in style aboard the Orient Express. The A-list VIPs were hauled uphill to the iconic Pera Palace Hotel in a sedan chair, on display for posterity in the foyer of this very grand establishment (perapalace.com), which has undergone a facelift lately.

    The merely famous, who would have included Agatha Christie — she plotted Murder on the Orient Express there and has a suite named after her — were dispatched by horse and carriage to the hotel overlooking the Golden Horn. Worth a visit to view belle époque grandeur and splash out on the most lavish afternoon tea on the planet, celebrity guests like Ernest Hemingway and Greta Garbo enjoyed Istanbul’s exotic Turkish baths, fabulous retail therapy and cuisine reflecting the rich Ottoman legacy. By night they hung out in smoky cellar clubs gambling, sampling the pleasures of the water pipe, and enjoying belly dancing.

    Nothing much has changed and today’s travellers pour into Istanbul for similar attractions, increasingly so from Ireland thanks to daily direct flights operated by Turkish Airlines and good value city break packages.

    I could have cheerfully spent a week exploring all the neigh-bourhoods, doing more shopping and sampling the nightlife, munching my way through miles more mezes — delicious hot and cold starters. Though I did suffer slight mosque malaise after a short sojourn. My erudite guide, Murat, who led me straight to a pashmina paradise called Zaida in the Grand Bazaar, managed to save me from the carpets, swatting off the salesmen, pointing at my strapped up fractured shoulder (from a ski fall in Erzurum in north-east Turkey a few days earlier) explaining that nothing less than a magic carpet would do.

    via Exploring another era | Irish Examiner.

  • The Bosphorous: Tale of two continents told at sea

    The Bosphorous: Tale of two continents told at sea

    By Jim Eagles

    Jim Eagles cruises down the watery divide between Europe and Asia.

    Ortakoy Mosque, built by an Ottoman sultan, is a vision of wealth and power. Photo / Jim Eagles

    In less than a minute I had passed from Europe to Asia. There was no need for my passport to be stamped and no customs inspection … though the driver did have to pay a small toll.

    To move from one continent to another we simply drove across the elegant 1075m-long Bosphorous Bridge while still remaining in Turkey.

    The land on either side of the narrow strip of water dividing Europe from Asia, and linking the Mediterranean with the Black Sea – comprising the Dardanelles, the Sea of Marmara and the Bosphorous – has throughout history been one of the most strategically important, and therefore highly prized, points in Eurasia.

    Mehmet Kayici, the archaeologist who guided me around Istanbul, said historians knew of no fewer than 48 attempts to conquer the area. One of the earliest saw Darius the Great, King of Persia, build a bridge of ships to take his forces across the narrow Mediterranean entrance, with the exploit commemorated in the name Dardanelles.

    And a more recent attempt involved Anzac troops who, among others, landed at Gallipoli in an ill-fated attempt to allow Royal Navy ships to pass through those straits to the Black Sea.

    Given all that history, it is hardly surprising that the shores of the Bosphorous, in particular, are lined with beautiful and historic buildings – mosques and palaces, watchtowers and castles – as well as the homes of the modern elite.

    You can explore that panorama by land or by sea, but preferably by both, which is what I did.

    Istanbul Seabuses’ Bosphorous Cruises are obviously a popular way to see the sights, because the ferry I went on was packed and I had to keep my elbows at the ready to preserve my viewing point on the top deck.

    The cruises start from Old Istanbul, a peninsula which has housed human settlements for at least 9000 years and has served as capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman Empires.

    The many ancient monuments to see there include the massive shape of St Sophia, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, the old Roman city walls and the Tokapi Palace.

    A little way down the coast the elegant shape of the Galata Tower, built by Genoese traders in 1348, rises above the amiable clutter of city buildings.

    Then we cruise past the 600m frontage of the Dolmabahce Palace, summer residence of the sultans, built in the 1850s when the Ottoman rulers had begun to find the Tokapi Palace in the middle of the city too restrictive.

    It’s an imposing sight, a suitable statement of wealth and power, but rather more beautiful is the nearby Ortakoy Mosque, built around the same time but these days sharing the seafront with the supports of the Bosphorous Bridge.

    On the opposite (Asian) side of the Bosphorous I saw more impressive Ottoman buildings, including the white marble Beylerbeyi Palace and the smaller Goksu Pavilion, which sounded as though it was a sort of royal bach.

    But our cruise continued mainly down the European side which was lined with wooden Ottoman houses. These charming homes were originally built by members of the extended royal family, ambassadors and courtiers, however today, according to Mehmet, they “are owned by rich people – the cheapest price would be US$5 million ($6 million) – who commute to the city in their speedboats”.

    Further down the Bosphorous we came to the second of the two spans linking Asia and Europe – the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge and beside it, rising up the hillside, the ominous bulk of the Rumelian Castle, built by the Ottomans in 1451 while they were laying seige to Constantinople.

    As the cruise continued I saw at the end of the Bosphorous, sitting astride a tall hill, the powerful shape of the Yoros Castle, built in Roman times to guard the entrance to the Black Sea.

    But before we got there, I left the ferry to continue my exploration by car.

    This allowed me to check out the extraordinary luxury of the Beylerbeyi Palace which seemed, from the commentary offered by the official guide, to have been used by the royal family for bathing excursions from their larger summer palace.

    It was also a chance to visit the viewing point of Chamlica, from which there are fabulous views across the water to Europe, and to enjoy the sight of dozens of families having picnics under the trees.

    However, the best thing about circling the Bosphorous by car was the fact that it allowed me to cross the Mehmet Bridge, from Europe to Asia, and the Bosphorous bridge, from Asia back to Europe, all in a matter of minutes.

    CHECKLIST

    Getting there: Singapore Airlines operates 12 times a week between Auckland and Singapore and then on to 62 destinations in 34 countries, including Istanbul.

    Getting around: World Expeditions’ Best of Turkey includes Cappadocia, famous for the underground cities and extraordinary rock formations, Konya, known for its whirling dervishes, and the historical cities of Ephesus, Troy and Gallipoli as well as Istanbul. Call 0800 350 354.

    Jim Eagles visited Istanbul with help from Singapore Airlines and World Expeditions.

    via The Bosphorous: Tale of two continents told at sea – Travel – NZ Herald News.

  • Under the spell of Istanbul

    Under the spell of Istanbul

    Magnificent historical structures in the Turkish city speak volumes of its rich history, writes Rizauddin Ibrahim

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    AHH… historic Istanbul! This crosses my mind the moment I lay my eyes on classic Ottoman buildings and the architecturally European-flavoured ones set along the shores of the Golden Horn.

    I am on a boat cruise along the waters of the Golden Horn, a natural estuary of the Bosphorus Strait that divides this capital of Turkey into two continents — Asia in the east and Europe in the west.

    That boat cruise is a surreal yet amazing voyage between the two continents.

    The Golden Horn is a 7.5km- long, narrow estuary that forms a protected natural harbour.

    For thousands of years, it has been a port of call for ships from the Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman.

    Here was where the city once began and here is where I begin my journey in historic Istanbul.

    ANCIENT DOMES AND TOWERS

    Looking at the city skyline from where I am on the boat, I can already feel the historic aura. First, I clearly see the domes and towers of Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace and Blue Mosque which date from the year 530 to 1600.

    As the boat cruises along the coast, one cannot help feeling impressed at the sight of Dolmabahce Palace, (1856), and Beylerbeyi Palace, a summer palace completed in 1865.

    And there are many hundreds of years-old wooden villas and mansions along the shores that will make anyone envious of their owners.

    Then comes the Rumeli Hasari or Rumeli Fortress that will leave you awestruck by its sheer supreme look. It was the largest fortress built by Sultan Mehmed Istanbul II in 1451 to control the sea routes of the Bosphorus to prevent aid from the Black Sea reaching the Turkish Siege of Constantinople in 1453.

    Constantinople is the Byzantine name for Istanbul. It was under siege many times before Mehmet The Conqueror took the city in 1453 and made it the capital of the Ottoman Empire. Before that, it was the capital of powerful Roman and Byzantine Empire.

    These ancient empires left these symbols of their past glories and best of all, these remnants are not scattered ruins of dull grey stones but large buildings which have defied the ravages of time. All these can now still be seen in the Sultan Ahmed District.

    ROYAL DISTRICT

    The Sultan Ahmed District is the heart of historic Old Istanbul. It is located on the peninsula bounded by bodies of water to north, east and south — the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, respectively. The area was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1985.

    This is where Constantinople was located at the southern bank of the Golden Horn and parts of the defence wall of the old city still remain at the coast. Located on the European side of Istanbul, the old city is the best base for sightseeing in Istanbul.

    As the most historic part of Istanbul, Sultan Ahmet District is where all the city’s significant landmarks like Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia and Topkapi Palace are located. Making it a complete tourist destination, the area has a number of good restaurants and hotels too.

    HIPPODROME OF CONSTANTINOPLE

    Though public transport is easily accessible, going on foot is the best choice to explore the old city. You should not miss going to Sultan Ahmed Square, actually the Hippodrome of Constantinople, the sporting and social centre of the city during the Byzantium era where horse or chariot racings were held.

    Today, several fragments of the original structure that adorned the square during its glorious time are still standing. They are the monuments of the Spiral Column, Thutmosis Obelisk and Walled Obelisk.

    The most recent addition to the square is the German Fountain, which is an octagonal domed fountain in neo-Byzantine style, constructed by the German government in 1900 to mark the German Emperor Wilhelm II’s visit to Istanbul in 1898.

    THE BLUE MOSQUE

    Adjacent to the Hippodrome is the Blue Mosque, or its official name, Sultan Ahmed Mosque. Built from 1609 to 1617, it is called the Blue Mosque for the blue tiles that adorn the walls of its interior. However, the tiles are mostly on the upper level, which is difficult to see.

    Coming from the Hippodrome, I walk through a grand doorway on the western side to go to its inner courtyard.

    Its architecture is better appreciated from the outside, especially under the bright sunlight from the Sultan Ahmed Garden at the northern side.

    This grand building of Ottoman architecture with six minarets and cascading layers of domes is a sight to behold.

    HAGIA SOPHIA

    As you admire the Blue Mosque and praise its architect, Sadefkar Mehmet Aga, tribute should also be given to Anthemius of Tralles and Isidorus of Miletus, the architects of neighbouring Hagia Sophia.

    They designed Hagia Sophia 1,000 years before Mehmet Aga was born. History goes that Sultan Ahmed 1, the Sultan of Ottoman ordered the Blue Mosque to be built to rival Hagia Sophia. And the result is two great architectural achievements standing next to each other in Istanbul’s main square.

    Hagia Sofia or Aya Sofia in Turkish which means Church Of Holy Wisdom, was built from year 532 to 537.

    At that time, its wide, flat dome was considered a daring engineering feat and became the world’s most impressive building and made it the greatest church in Christendom.

    It then was turned into a mosque when Ottoman conquered the city in 1453 and continued to serve as Istanbul’s most revered mosque until 1935 when Kamal Ataturk turned it into a museum as we see it today.

    Unlike the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sofia is best admired from the inside, especially from the mezzanine level. From this floor, the view of the prayer hall is the most impressive. The natural light is slightly dimmed under its massive dome but gloriously lit by the glittering gold from the 30 million pieces of tiny golden tiles.

    These tiny pieces of tiles are mosaic images of the Virgin Mother, Jesus, saints, emperors and empresses, as well as geometric patterns.

    As it was once a mosque, the wall has Islamic calligraphy arts that inscribe religious names including that of the first four caliphs Abu Bakar, Umar, Uthman and Ali.

    It is under this great dome of Hagia Sophia that I find a perfect mix of both Ottoman and Byzantium, or Islamic and Christian.

    These are the characteristics of two different cultures from two great empires that have affected present Istanbul.
    TOPKAPI PALACE

    Next to Hagia Sophia is Topkapi Palace, home of Ottoman Sultan for 400 years and the heart of Ottoman Empire.

    The initial construction began in 1459 but after that, over centuries,  the Palace Complex expanded to cover 80 hectares! This centuries-long construction included the major renovation after the 1509 earthquake and 1665 fire.

    At its peak, the palace is home to 4,000 people but it is now the Topkapi Palace Museum housing many collections of historic objects from all over the Ottoman Empire and precious heirlooms that once belonged to Ottoman Sultans themselves.

    A short visit to this palace will not do justice to it for it is a huge complex, made of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings.

    The assortment of small buildings is fine architecture on its own. They are a result of the directives by many previous Ottoman Sultans who individually added and changed various structures and elements in the palace.

    But the finest of all is the Fourth Courtyard or Imperial Sofa, the innermost private sanctuary of the Sultan and his family and has a number of pavilions, kiosks, gardens and terraces.

    Here also is the special chamber called Chamber of the Sacred Relic, which includes the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle.

    The pavilion houses what are considered the most sacred relics of the Muslim world, including the cloak of the Prophet Muhammad, two swords, a bow, one tooth, hairs of his beard, his battle sabres, autographed letters and other relics.

    Several other sacred objects are also on display, such as the swords of the first four Caliphs, the staff of Moses, the turban of Joseph and a carpet belonging to Muhammad’s daughter.

    The upper terrace has the Iftar Kiosk and Baghdad Kiosk where the Sultan customarily breaks fast during Ramadan with the view of the Golden Horn in the background. This is the best place to end the tour in Topkapi Palace.
    GRAND BAZAAR

    For a city that is proud of its heritage and culture inherited from two major empires, there is life in this city that stubbornly clings on to its old world ambience. That is the Grand Bazaar.

    The oldest and one of the world’s largest covered bazaars, the bazaar spreads over 61 covered streets with more than 3,000 shops. Record has it that the bazaar attracts between 250,000 and 400,000 visitors daily.

    It offers an excellent shopping experience especially for souvenir hunting, from Turkish carpets, glazed tiles and pottery, copper and brassware, apparel made of leather, cotton and wool, music instrument to all sorts of other things.

    Thanks to the ambience, I can’t help but feel like entering Aladdin’s cave in some shops selling antiques.

    This is the place to hone bargaining skills, which usually involves prospective clients having tea with the traders while bargaining for the right price.

    Shopping in the Grand Bazaar is what many visitors list as among the things to do when visiting Istanbul. But for a more sizzling time, have a fine dinner with a belly dancing show thrown in.

    Read more: Under the spell of Istanbul – Holiday – New Straits Times
  • 24-hour room service: House Hotel Bosphorus, Istanbul

    24-hour room service: House Hotel Bosphorus, Istanbul

    Arriving at night, I flung open the French windows in my room at the House Hotel Bosphorus and stepped out on to the balcony for a stunning view of two continents: European Ortakoy’s bustling harbour, the neon-lit Bosphorus Bridge and, across the shimmering water, the twinkling lights of Uskudar in Asia.

    5388700The third venture from Istanbul’s dynamic House mini-chain has transformed a 19th-century waterfront mansion into a contemporary boutique hotel. The elegant Simon Kalfa building – he was part of the Balyan dynasty that left Istanbul with an impressive Ottoman-era architectural legacy, including Dolmabahce Palace – had fallen into disrepair but now, like the city itself, it’s a well-thought-out combination of old and new.

    As in the other House hotels – House Hotel Galatasary in a 19th-century Ottoman mansion in the up-and-coming antiques district of Cukurcuma, and the Art Deco House Hotel Nisantasi, perched above Prada in the city’s most upmarket shopping district – the renovation has been sympathetic to the building’s origins. The original lofty ceilings, ornate plasterwork and parquet floors are complemented by luxurious interiors from the award-winning Turkish design duo du jour, Autoban, making good use of their signature materials of marble, brass and oak.

    The hotel has five floors topped by the enormous Penthouse Bosphorus Suite, with 180-degree views. On the ground floor, the trendy House Café serves traditional Turkish and international dishes, along with potent cocktails. It spills out onto a patio overlooking the Bosphorus, the bridge and Buyuk Mecidiye Camii, a magnificent neo-Baroque mosque. One floor up, the open-plan Lounge houses a formal restaurant, lounge, library and bar and is decorated with muted tones, a marble fireplace and sleek, low-slung cream leather sofas. Turkish dishes are presented with a contemporary twist, served with good local wines such as Sarafin, Corvus and Sevilen 900. This is also the place to sip raki, a potent anise-flavoured spirit while you people-watch – Kevin Spacey and Monica Bellucci are recent guests.

    A leisurely breakfast is also served in the Lounge – a top pick is menimen, scrambled eggs, with feta, tomatoes and parsley.

    Location

    Cosmopolitan Ortakoy, “Middle Village” in Turkish, is one of Istanbul’s coolest districts. The Buyuk Mecidiye Camii sits on a platform next to the iconic bridge; fishing boats bob in the harbour and the muezzin vies with beats from the city’s glitziest super-clubs, including Reina and Anjelique.

    Ortakoy’s cobbled alleyways and squares heave with people at weekends, drawn by its street market, chic boutiques and waterfront bars and restaurants. The café culture of Bebek, one of the Bosphorus villages, is a stroll away, and you’re only a short taxi or tram ride from historic Sultanahmet and the nightlife of Beyoglu. The coast road can get gridlocked in rush hour, but it’s about 45 minutes from the main Ataturk airport and 60 minutes from the no-frills Sabiha Gokcen Airport.

    Comfort

    There are 23 rooms divided into six categories, ranging from superior to the penthouse. Almost all have river views – four suites and four rooms have full waterfront views, other rooms overlook Ortakoy Square with side views of the strait – with small balconies perfect for a post-sightseeing wind-down while you watch boats ply the water. The interiors are cool and calm, mingling the traditional with the hi-tech – king-sized beds with crisp white linen, gleaming white walls, polished parquet, original mouldings offset by Autoban’s signature funky light fittings, remote-controlled curtains and a large flatscreen TV.

    My deluxe suite’s separate living area came with a streamlined sofa and dark-wood furniture, as well as a second TV and Nespresso machine. The marbled-tiled bathrooms have powerful rain showers and L’Occitane toiletries, while the penthouse suites have large Jacuzzi tubs, and wraparound balconies. There’s free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and a small gym.

    House Hotel Bosphorus, Salhane Sokak 1, Ortakoy, Istanbul, Turkey (00 90 212 244 3400; thehousehotel.com).

    Rooms *****

    Value ****

    Service ****

    Double rooms start at €159, including breakfast.

    via 24-hour room service: House Hotel Bosphorus, Istanbul – Hotels – Travel – The Independent.