Hotels in Istanbul and Places to Stay

HOLIDAY IN ONE CITY ON TWO CONTINENTS: ISTANBUL

The most populous city in Turkey, Istanbul, is something very special: the only metropolis in the world that is located on two continents. The one part belongs to the European Thrace, while the other is located in Asiatic Anatolia. A unique feature that is not the only reason to plan a trip to the fascinating city.

DIVERSE ACCOMMODATION IN A DIVERSE CITY

If you want to travel to Istanbul, of course, first of all the question of where you want to stay overnight. When booking an accommodation everyone has different claims. Good that they can all be fulfilled in Istanbul, because cheap hotels can be found here as well as expensive luxury accommodations .

A well-equipped hotel is located just a few meters from Taksim Square. The 5-star The Central Palace offers a fitness center, a lounge and a spa with jacuzzi. Feel at home in the elegantly furnished rooms of this house.

If you are only in Istanbul for a few days anyway and you do not want to spend too much money on your accommodation, you do not need to worry. Because even for the small purse here are beautiful accommodations. A Bed & Breakfast like the Naz Wooden House Inn is just the right choice. Also just a few meters from the center, it has no worse location than the luxury hotel, but is much cheaper. The small building was built on the remains of a Byzantine house and offers on top of that a portion of history.

THE SIGN OF THE CITY: THE HAGIA SOPHIA

After the question about the accommodation has been clarified and you could book the right hotel, the city trip in Istanbul can really start. Now a lot of sights and great corners of the city await the visitor – especially the historic old town Sultanahmet . The former Constantinople can look back on a three-thousand-year history, so that not a few traditional buildings can be found in this part of the city. For this reason, Sultanahmet has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

The world-famous Hagia Sophia , the wisdom of German , is one of the imposing buildings that make up the charm of the old town. Located in the European part of the city, the Hagia Sophia is a building that was initially built as a church, later used as a mosque and today transformed into a museum. The special feature of the Hagia Sophia is the fact that it was built in the 6th century AD as a dome basilica and thus connected Greco-Roman with oriental elements. It also served as a model for many other mosques, such as the one opposite mosque, the so-called Blue Mosque .

NUMEROUS IMPRESSIONS IN ISTANBUL’S MUSEUMS

Of course, even if Istanbul is especially beautiful in sunshine, you do not have to bury your head in the sand and crawl into the hotel room when it rains. Then there are plenty of other museums to visit in the city on the Bosphorus, beyond Hagia Sophia . The diversity is great, so that not only art and history lovers get their money.

A highlight is the Archaeological Museum , which is located below the Topkapi Palace. It was founded in 1891 and comprises a collection of around 15,000 pieces from Mesopotamia. One piece that must have been seen here is the Alexander Sarcophagus, which dates back to 310 BC and is still intact.

The Topkapi Palace itself was, like many other buildings, converted into a museum and is absolutely worth seeing. The former seat of government and the former residence of the Ottoman rulers covers an area of ​​700,000 square meters and is twice as large as the Vatican. No wonder, because once upon a time more than 5,000 people lived here, including members of the ruling family, as well as servants and soldiers. Visiting the museum today, one can admire numerous treasures from times of Ottoman rule and, incidentally, enjoy a wonderful view of the city and the Bosphorus.

Happy New Year: New Year’s Eve in Istanbul

Even if Istanbul is worth a trip all year long, it turns out to be a special highlight when you spend the New Year’s Eve here and celebrate the new year. Although so much history and tradition can be experienced in Istanbul, the metropolis has also developed into a thoroughly modern city with a lively party scene . Therefore, of course, New Year’s Eve here grandiose celebrations take place, which one will not forget so fast. Depending on what the purse gives and what you expect from a successful New Year, there are some opportunities in Istanbul to start the new year.

For the Turks, New Year’s Eve is a solemn affair that is often spent with the family. For this purpose, the houses are decorated and in some apartments even holds a New Year’s tree feeder. But do not worry, you did not arrive by accident a week too early and landed at “Christmas” in the Turkish metropolis. Here it is easy custom “Yil Basi”, the last day of the year, similar to our Christmas Eve spend.

But that does not mean you can not experience the big party either. Many hotels, restaurants and clubs offer the opportunity to celebrate the new year. And one of course must not be missing in Istanbul on New Year’s Eve: the fireworks. This is best seen from one of the roof terraces on the Bosphorus. But you can also venture right into the fray on Taksim Square. So there’s nothing in the way of a good transition into the New Year if you spend it in Istanbul.