Pera hotel is a very recommended hotel in Istanbul. Whether you are here to travel or work, it’s location and services will benefit you for sure.
Sultan Ahmet Mosque
The Blue Mosque, the most famous mosque in Istanbul, is very famous not only among domestic tourists but also among foreign tourists. Foreign tourists know the mosque as the Blue Mosque. The most important reason for this is that the interior of the mosque is furnished with 21 thousand 43 Iznik tiles and has a deep blue appearance. The Pera hotel allows you to visit here without a worry, it is close and the staff will help you with any questions.
The mosque, which was built by Sedefkar Mehmet Ağa, one of Mimar Sinan’s students in the 17th century, on the orders of Sultan Ahmet I, is located right across Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque has 16 balconies, and these 16 balconies symbolize the fact that Sultan Ahmet I is the 16th ruler of the Ottoman Empire. The diameter of its dome, which is 43 meters high, is 23.5 meters. This place is near the galata Istanbul hotel.
When all these and the complex of the mosque come together, the Blue Mosque is among the largest structures in Istanbul. Since the mosque is open for worship, it can be very crowded on Fridays and religious holidays. For this reason, when you go for a tour to see the mosque from an architectural point of view, you should prefer days that can be quieter. Pera hotel staff can help you with determining those days.
Basilica Cistern
Basilica Cistern, one of the most valuable structures remaining in Istanbul from the Byzantine Empire period. Even after the conquest of Istanbul, it continued to be used as a water source for a while. Galata antique hotel is not near here but if you are staying there, you can find a way to get to cistern very easy.
The most mysterious artifact in the Basilica Cistern, which is 140 meters long and 70 meters wide, is the Medusa Head. The statue, located under the two columns located in the northwest of the cistern, is one of the most important works of the Roman Period, but how it got here is unknown.
Basilica Cistern is a culturally important place besides its touristic beauty. Concerts and recitals of local and foreign artists are held here. Especially with the lighting arrangements made during these concerts, the events become very impressive. You can ask Pera hotel employees for help and they will guide you to the basilica cistern.
Hagia Sophia
There are many places that we can put at the top of the list of places to visit in Istanbul and it is very difficult to choose, but Hagia Sophia deserves to be in the first place. Hagia Sophia, built by the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantius in 360, is one of the oldest cathedrals in the world.
In the 5th century, the building was named Hagia Sophia, and it carried this name until Istanbul was conquered in 1453. After conquering Istanbul, Fatih Sultan Mehmet ordered Hagia Sophia to be a mosque and the minarets of the building were built by Mimar Sinan. Hagia Sophia, which became a museum in 1935, was reopened for worship in 2020. You can see the place very easily with the directions from Pera hotel.
Grand Bazaar
Among the places to visit in Istanbul, the Grand Bazaar is the place where you can find all the textures of Turkey together. Located in Beyazıt, the bazaar is known as the Grand Bazaar by foreign tourists. The Grand Bazaar was built during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror and has been in existence for about 550 years. You can do so much here like shopping or hotel booking, etc.
The bazaar, which aimed to increase the income of the Ottoman Empire when it was first opened, has grown over time and has become the most important trade center in the region. The Grand Bazaar, the oldest shopping center in the world, is also one of the largest shopping centers in the world, with an area of 45,000 square meters. The name of the Grand Bazaar is also mentioned in Evliya Çelebi’s Travel Book. Apart from that, other travel books mention its size and the shops inside. If you search hotels near me online here, you can choose from many different hotel options.
Home to almost 4000 shops, the Grand Bazaar is famous for its jewelers. Besides the jewelers, there are also spices, carpets, rugs and fabrics. After your shopping, you can go to the galata 2 hotel and have a nice cup of tea there.
Even if you are not going to buy anything from the Grand Bazaar, you should definitely wander through the shops because it would not be possible to go back without feeling the nostalgic atmosphere of old Istanbul. For hotel booking, this is not a very practical place because it is always crowded.
Galata Tower
Galata Tower, one of the structures that make up the silhouette of Istanbul, welcomes so many tourists that there are always long queues in front of it. There are very few hotel or hostels near the tower.
It gained its present appearance in the 1340s. The last repair of the tower, which was destroyed by fire and earthquakes, was made in 1967. You can enter the tower, which offers a wonderful view of Istanbul when you climb to the top, between 10:00-22:00 in summer and 10:00-19:00 in winter. You can ask the Pera hotel stafffor more information.