Rooftop flat in the historic centre with a beautiful bosphorus view

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Istanbul, not least due to our accommodation. Mete and Ozlem's apartment is perfectly located, on a quiet street but less than five minutes from the Blue Mosque, Agia Sofya and the Bosphorus. There are also dozens of restaurants to choose from within a short stroll. The apartment is small, but quite adequately sized for a couple (two more could be accommodated on the sofa-bed in the living room, but I think that would be a bit of a squash).

The apartment has obviously been renovated and refurnished in the fairly recent past - mostly from Ikea I'd say, and nothing wrong with that! Everything was spotlessly clean on arrival. The living room has a large TV with DVD and satellite, although the only English-language channel is Al-Jazeera news. We didn't come to Istanbul to watch telly, so that wasn't an issue for us. More importantly, there's a reliable and reasonably fast Wifi signal.

The bedroom is small - it has a double bed and wardrobe, and no room for much else. Reading lamps on both sides of the bed, which is always useful. The kitchen is well equipped; no oven, but microwave, dishwasher, washing machine and hob, plus an adequate supply of cutlery and crockery. Lots of cleaning stuff under the sink, although some cleaning cloths for wiping down surfaces etc. would have helped.

The bathroom is a wet room, with an OK shower (not the strongest water pressure, but adequate and temperature controls worked well). Outside is a nice little terrace, with views of the Bosphorus to the right and the minarets of the Blue Mosque to the left, and a plastic table and chairs for al fresco eating and drinking.

We never met the owners, but on the phone and (before our arrival) via email they seemed pleasant and helpful. They arranged our transfers from and to the airport (60TL each way - a bit more than a taxi but a lot more comfortable and convenient) which was in a large people-mover, with very pleasant driver who also let us in and showed us round the apartment on arrival.

If you're looking for luxury then this apartment isn't for you, but it's clean and comfortable, and for location and value for money I doubt there's anything better to be found in Istanbul for a short stay.

We are leaving this apartment after a week of pure pleasure. The apartment is spotlessly clean, all new windows, appliances, furniture, etc., make it a pleasure. It is VERY simple, but fine. Our pick up from the airport was flawless - even at 2 AM! Everything works perfectly and the views are stunning. Just two blocks away is a trendy, bustling neighborhood full of restaurants, shops, etc., but the apartment is VERY quiet and feels remote, safe and private. Major monuments a stroll away.

The little shop on the corner has essentials and is convenient.
It is a third-floor walk-up, but do-able if you are at all fit. We are 66 and 71 and had no trouble. The place next door to the shop, Yume, will arrange tours. Remzi is charming, has great English, and knows his stuff.

Owner and manager are WONDERFUL, responsive and helpful - even though we stupidly locked ourselves out on the balcony and they had to bring a locksmith. They were lovely about it.

Wifi is spectacularly good. Remist restaurant - at the end of our street past all the other restaurants, is really good, inexpensive and has a nice vibe.

Highly recommended. You will LOVE Turkey!

Mete's apartment is right in the heart of the Sultanahmet, with a rooftop terrace giving views of the Sea of Marmera in one direction and the Blue Mosque in the other, the call to prayer from the Blue Mosque is really beautiful to listen to. Over the road is a small convenience store for beer and groceries, and just around the corner are a hundred restaurants with pavement seating. We are a retired couple who have just spent 2 great weeks in the apartment and enjoyed it immensely.


Althoughwe did not meet Mete we found him to be more than helpful with information and calling reliable cabs.