Where East meets West, in history and in landscape
An open-air museum of elegance and fine food
The home of perfume and art, and a European charm that never fades
The heart of Europe, alive with a long past and modern invention
The heart of Europe, alive with fairy-tale castles and history
Land of fjords and northern lights
Scandinavia's jewel and the nature of the north
Land of castles, lochs and Highlands
The secrets of the tsars, on a grand scale
The Ionian coast and the Ottoman stone towns
Caucasus nature and the charm of history
The cradle of civilisation, the Nile and the Red Sea
Africa's enchanting gateway, where heritage meets the modern
The green land of the Mediterranean, cradle of civilisations, home of Carthage
Arab heritage, untouched nature and the Indian Ocean
Where untouched nature meets the spirit of Asia
Cultural variety and modern cities in the heart of tropical nature
A city of the future, polished and orderly, at the heart of Asia
The legends of Ha Long Bay, Asian heritage and dramatic landscapes
A tropical retreat of quiet luxury
Land of beginnings, volcanic nature and deep African history
The Rainbow Nation: safari, mountains and ocean
Istanbul · Türkiye
65 rooms and suites a few steps from Hagia Sophia
Historic palace
A neoclassical building from 1918 to 1919 set around a garden courtyard, a hotel since 1996 and fully renovated in 2022, a few steps from Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
The hotel stands in the heart of Istanbul's old city at Sultanahmet, close to Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara. The building went up between 1918 and 1919 as a French-style prison in the First National Architecture style, which blends Ottoman and neoclassical design. It became a Four Seasons hotel in January 1996 and reopened in 2022 after a full renovation.
The hotel is small and quiet: only 65 rooms and suites, 17 of them suites, around an enclosed garden courtyard. The Four Seasons Room, with two queen beds, sleeps two adults and two children. The St. Sophia and Marmara suites on the fourth floor each have three private terraces, the first facing Hagia Sophia, the second the Sea of Marmara and the Princes' Islands.
The point of staying here is that the old city is on foot: Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, Topkapı Palace and the Basilica Cistern. We suggest it for the days you give to the historic sights, paired with a Bosphorus hotel on a longer trip.
Accommodation
Dining
Avlu serves contemporary Anatolian cuisine in the courtyard, and Lingo Lingo offers afternoon tea and light dishes. We confirm halal options with the hotel before you arrive.
Gallery
Location
Journeys
Türkiye · 8 days
Sultans' palaces and dawn balloons in 7 nights
Three nights on the historic peninsula, two in a cave hotel in Cappadocia, then two in a palace on the Bosphorus. A private journey with car and Arabic-speaking guide.
Türkiye
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