Bentley Hotel Old City
Bentley Hotel Oldcity provides an intimate atmosphere and ultimate Luxury in the heart of this historical city. Our 41 Room hotel offers a serene ambiance and a calming atmosphhere in the hands of hospitality professionals. While Bentley is only a few steps away from the most well know historical attractions such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace; You are most welcome to enjoy the breath taking views of Marmara Sea, Princess Islands and the bosphorus from our stunning terrace which is located right above gourgeos 1600 year old 5th Century Byzantine Palace Boukoleonby Roman Emperor Theodosius
The pleasure of luxury
Rooms
Landmarks
Galata Tower
The Galata Tower was built by the Genoese in mid-fourteenth century as part of the Galata Walls when Galata quarter was a Genoese colony in the Byzantine Era. After it was used as a dungeon for some time in the Ottoman Era, it was converted to a fire lookout tower. The tower which suffered damages due to earthquakes and fires from time to time underwent several renovations during the Ottoman Era. The tower that had fallen into ruins by 1960s was restored by Istanbul Municipality and opened for visitors. The Galata Tower was restored by the General Directorate of Foundations in 2020, and the reinforced concrete elements which were added later, and the cafeteria were removed, and the Tower reopened its gates to visitors as a museum. In the Galata Tower museum, artefacts are displayed, reflecting all the historical periods of Istanbul that has been populated since prehistoric times and served as a capital for sixteen centuries for three great empires. One of the tallest buildings in Istanbul until the mid-20th century, the Galata Tower has one of the most beautiful panoramic views of Istanbul that you can enjoy on the top floor. The Tower is in the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage Sites along with the Genoese Towers in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Now That You Are Here You are at walking distance to Galata Mevlevi Lodge, the first Mevlevi lodge of Istanbul and the most important Ottoman work of art in Beyoğlu. Also, if you walk up from the Tower to İstiklal Avenue, you can visit Tarık Tunaya Cultural Center which is free for visitors.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque
Sultan Ahmet Mosque was built by Sultan Ahmet I in the 17th century by Sedefkar Mehmet Aga, one of the students of Mimar Sinan. The mosque is also known as the Blue Mosque because there are blue colored Iznik tiles on the walls of the mosque. There are 21 thousand 43 eye-catching Iznik tiles on the walls of the mosque. Starting from the tops of the lower row windows to the bottom of the third row windows, the wall surfaces are covered with tiles. Especially the tiles on the walls of the mahfil are placed in a way that does not tire the eyes in the space. The prayer hall section of the mosque is 64x72 meters in size. The 43 meter high central dome has a diameter of 23.5 meters. Together with its complex, the Blue Mosque is one of the largest building complexes in Istanbul. This complex consists of a mosque, madrassas, hünkar pavilion, arasta, shops, hammam, fountain, fountains, fountains, mausoleum, darüşşifa, sanatorium, imarethane and rented rooms. The tomb of Sultan Ahmet I was also built adjacent to the mosque garden.
Grand Bazaar
The Grand Bazaar is the world's largest bazaar and one of the oldest covered bazaars, located in the center of the city of Istanbul in the middle of the Beyazıt, Nuruosmaniye and Mercan districts. There are approximately 4,000 shops in the Grand Bazaar and the total number of employees in these shops is approximately 25,000. At its busiest times of the day, it is said to hold close to 500,000 people.[1] In 2014, it was ranked 1st among the most visited tourist attractions in the world with 91,250,000 visitors.[2] The Grand Bazaar is often referred to as the world's first shopping mall. The Grand Bazaar is the world's largest bazaar and one of the oldest covered bazaars, located in the center of the city of Istanbul in the middle of the Beyazıt, Nuruosmaniye and Mercan districts. There are approximately 4,000 shops in the Grand Bazaar and the total number of employees in these shops is approximately 25,000. At its busiest times of the day, it is said to hold close to 500,000 people.[1] In 2014, it was ranked 1st among the most visited tourist attractions in the world with 91,250,000 visitors.[2] The Grand Bazaar is often referred to as the world's first shopping mall.
Balat
Balat is a neighborhood in the Fatih district of Istanbul, on the shores of the Golden Horn, between Ayvansaray and Fener. The name Balat comes from the Greek word palation, meaning palace; the neighborhood became known by this name due to its proximity to the Blaherna Palace on the city walls.[1][2] The special importance of Balat in the history of Istanbul is that Jews from Spain settled here and it remained the main Jewish neighborhood until recent times. In addition, the settlement of Jews around Balat also attracted the Jews of Georgia to this region. Jews from the Sefardim branch who fled the Inquisition in Spain came to Istanbul upon the invitation of Bayezid II. From the 15th century onwards, Istanbul's Jewish community lived in Balat and across the Golden Horn in Hasköy.[3] The surviving examples of Jewish houses increase towards the interior of the neighborhood. These are generally three-story buildings with narrow front facades and bay windows on the second and third floors. When one enters the Old Balat gate, there is the Yanbol Synagogue on the right, and a little further on is the Ahrida Synagogue, built by Jews from Ohrid in Macedonia. It is believed that the oldest synagogue in Balat was here, but the current structure dates from the mid-19th century. The Jews of Balat immigrated to Israel in the 1950s. Those who remained moved to other parts of the city, leaving very few Jews in Balat. There is also the Ayios Strati Orthodox Church in the neighborhood. The main mosque in the neighborhood is the Ferruh Kethüda Mosque, the work of Mimar Sinan.
Yerebatan Sarnıcı Museum
A closed water cistern built in Istanbul in 526-527 to meet the water needs of the city. It is located on Soğukçeşme Street, southwest of Hagia Sophia. It is popularly called Yerebatan Palace because of the many marble columns rising out of the water. It is also called the Basilica Cistern because there was a basilica on the cistern before. Built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian I, the cistern was connected to Hadrian's waterways, which met the water needs of the areas between the first and second hills of the city. After the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, it served as a water distribution center for the area around Sarayburnu and Bahçe Gate; after the Ottomans established their own waterworks in the city, it became a physical symbol representing the neighborhood in which it was located, even though it was not used; its name was given to the palace, the grand vizier's stables, the street and the neighborhood.
Ayasofya Mosque
Hagia Sophia, formerly known as the Church of Holy Wisdom and the Hagia Sophia Museum or now officially known as Hagia Sophia-i Kebîr Câmi-i Şerîfi (Holy Great Hagia Sophia Mosque), is a mosque and former basilica, cathedral and museum in Istanbul. It was a basilica-planned patriarchal cathedral built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I between 532-537 in the old city center on the historical peninsula of Istanbul. In 1453, after the Ottoman conquest of Istanbul, it was converted into a mosque by Mehmed II. It was converted into a museum by the Decree of the Council of Ministers issued by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1934, excavation and renovation works were initiated and it served as a museum from 1935 to 2020. In 2020, the museum status was canceled and the mosque status was given. Hagia Sophia is a domed basilica type building that combines a central plan in terms of architecture, and is considered as an important turning point in the history of architecture with its dome transition and carrier system features. In addition to its symbolic and axis meaning for Christians, it is a touristic and spiritual attraction center.