Welcome

"Ahmet Efendi Evi" is located in the authentic historical area of the Old Byzantian City, which is called Sultanahmet. The maximum walking distance is 5 - 10 minutes to the natural and architectural beauty and wealth of major attractions such as Hagia Sofia (Church of Holy Wisdom), the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii), Topkapi Palace, the Egyptian Bazaar, the Grand Bazaar, Turkish and Islamic Museum as well as the Archaeology museum. "Ahmet Efendi Evi" is a friendly family guesthouse, where you will feel yourself at home. All our cosy Family Rooms are very comfortable, tastefully decorated and large with TV and showers. Family Suites are also available with private sitting room and additional Internet access.

Brief introduction about the city:

This beautiful city is the only one who astride two continents, Europe and Asia. According to historians, Istanbul (Stanbul) was founded by Byzas in 667 BC, and then called Byzantium. In 330 AD, Constantine made Byzantium his capital and called it Constantinople. The Great Ottoman Empire conquered Constantinople in 1453 AD and changed the name to Istanbul and is still used, also when Turkey became a Republic in 1923.

Places to visit in Istanbul:

Sultan Ahmet Camii: The Blue Mosque was founded by Sultan Ahmet I. He ordered Architect Mehmed Aga to begin construction in 1609 and the whole complex was completed in 1616.

Hagia Sofia: Hagia Sophia, The Holy Wisdom Temple, now known as the Ayasofya Museum which was built in 537, was an early Christian Church and later an Eastern Orthodox church which was transformed into a mosque in 1453 by the Turks, and converted into a museum in 1935.

Cistern Basilica: The Cistern Basilica also called the "Yerebatan Sarnici" is a cistern built for water storage purposes during the Byzantine Period in the 6th century in 532 AD. Cistern Basilica is located underground, illuminated and viewed from a wooden platform, appears to be without life, but the air is surprisingly fresh and the whole place imbued with a mysterious atmosphere.

Topkapi Palace: The Topkapi Palace was the administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853. The construction of the Topkapı Palace was ordered by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1459. It was completed in 1465. The palace is full of examples of Ottoman style architecture and also owns large collections of porcelain, robes, weapons, shields, armours, Ottoman miniatures, Islamic calligraphic manuscripts and mural decorations, as well as a display of accumulated Ottoman treasures and jewellery.

Grand Bazaar: The Grand Bazaar is one of the largest covered markets in the world with more than 58 streets and 4000 shops, and has 250,000-400,000 visitors daily. It is well known for its jewelry, pottery, spice, and carpet shops. Many of the stalls in the bazaar are grouped by type of goods, with special areas for leather coats, gold jewelry and the like.

Galata Tower: The Galata Tower was built as Christian Turris in 1348 during an expansion of the Genoese colony in Constantinople. The tower is located in Istanbul, to the north of the Golden Horn. One of the city's most striking landmarks, it is a huge, cone-capped cylinder that dominates the skyline on the Galata side of the Golden Horn.

Bosporus: The Bosporus) is a strait that forms the boundary between the European part (Rumelia) of Turkey and its Asian part (Anatolia). The world's narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara.

Maiden’s Tower: (LEANDER TOWER) the Girl Tower is one of the romantic symbol of Istanbul. It constructed first in the 12th century and present building get dates from 18th century. According to the most famous story of KIZ KULESI, Constantine, one of the Byzantine emperors had a beautiful daughter whom he loved dearly. The soothsayers said that the girl would one day be bitten by a snake and die.

Princes’ Islands: The Princes' Islands are a chain of nine islands off the coast of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. These islands are Büyükada, Heybeliada, Burgazada, Kınalıada, Sedef Adası, Yassıada, Sivriada, Kaşık Adası, and Tavşan Adası. During the summer months the Princes’ Islands are popular destinations for day trips from Istanbul. As there is no traffic on the Islands, the only transport being horse and cart, they are incredibly peaceful compared with Istanbul.