Apartment

Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata!

Photo gallery for Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata!

Panelled doors and wide doorways
Access to shared roof terrace with city views, any time you like
Spacious dining room with original frescoes
Velvet headboards and crisp white linens
Comfortable living room with selection of guide books
Reviews
9.8

Exceptional

2 bedrooms1 bathroomSleeps 5100 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
    Air conditioningAir conditioning
  • Kitchen
    KitchenKitchen
  • Outdoor space
    Outdoor spaceOutdoor space
  • Washer
    WasherWasher

Check-in time

3:00 PM

Check-out time

11:00 AM

Explore the area

Map
Istanbul, Istanbul
  • Popular LocationIstiklal Avenue2 min walk
  • Popular LocationGalata Tower3 min walk
  • Popular LocationTaksim Square2 min drive
  • AirportIstanbul (IST)43 min drive

Rooms & beds

2 bedrooms (sleeps 5)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

2 Single Beds

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Balcony

About this property

Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata!

This stylish yet homely apartment is on the 1st floor of a historically grand 19th century building not far from Galata Tower. It's spacious, stylish and comfortable. A few floors up on the roof-top, a shared terrace has views across the Golden Horn. The streets below are a characterful mix of cafe-restaurants, boutiques and residential apartment buildings.

We also offer a selection of 'experiences' with our local guides, to help you build your own genuine and memorable perspective on the city.

This is one of Istanbul Place Apartments' restoration projects. One flight of original marble stairs take you up to the apartment and a few more floors up on the roof-top, a shared terrace has lovely views across the Golden Horn. You're welcome to take your drinks, meals or simply thoughts up there any time. The streets below the apartment are atmospheric with small, trendy boutiques and cafe-restaurants, yet are quiet and residential at night. Galata's pedestrianised area is just around the corner with its lively pavement cafes and restaurants plus all the buzz of this bohemian district.

The apartment building is only 2 minutes walk from Sishane metro station, 1 minute walk from Tünel funicular and a downhill walk to connect with the tram for Sultanahmet. Famous Istiklal Avenue is less than 5 minutes walk up the hill.

The bedrooms are stylish: one double and one twin, each with chic velvet headboards and high quality crisp white linens. There's a good sized, well-equipped kitchen with high-end appliances including dish-washer. The bright and spacious dining room is in the centre of the apartment. In the comfortable living room there's a large feather-cushioned sofa, armchair and a bar table with stools overlooking the interesting and authentic streets below. The shower room is a generous size with loo.

This apartment is 100m2 in total and well laid-out, with large windows, lovely high ceilings and some frescoes. The exposed floorboards and wooden panelled doors are all original, giving a homely yet stylish atmosphere. The bedrooms comfortably accommodate four people and a fifth/child on a fold-out bed in the living/dining room is possible.

Guests will have the complete privacy of the entire apartment.

The roof terrace, shared with all apartments in the building, is available for your careful use at any time.

We also offer a selection of 'experiences' with our local guides, to help you build your own genuine and memorable perspective on the city.

In the same building we also offer two additional apartments. The three, booked together, are suitable for a large group of up to 14 people.

This is a small Turkish-British family project. Julia and Tarkan used to live in Istanbul then Singapore and are now balancing life between England and Istanbul. If we're in Istanbul during your stay we'd love to meet you.

Your questions and booking will be handled by us wherever we are. When you arrive in Istanbul Tarkan’s wonderful family and/or our friendly team will welcome you to your apartment, give you the keys and explain about practicalities and the neighbourhoods.

We’ll all help you as much as you need and we're always only a phone call or email away.

Galata has a genuine, very welcoming and diverse community with an intriguing mix of cafes, restaurants, small grocery shops and artistic boutiques. Elegant 19th Century buildings line cobbled streets, with discoveries waiting around every corner. No matter where you wander, you’ll always find your way back to Galata Tower, which has been a well-loved landmark for the last 700 years.

Metro, bus, tram and ferry stops are all only a few minutes walk away. The famous Istiklal Avenue is around 5 minutes stroll. You can be in Sultanahmet (for the big sights of Ayasofya, Topkapı, Blue Mosque etc.) in about 12 minutes by public transport or 20 minutes on foot. In the other direction, by Metro, you can be in Şişli (for Istanbul’s biggest shopping mall) in 10 minutes or Levent (for Istanbul’s business district) in 15 minutes.

There are many taxi ranks around and some secure car parks too.

Will your stay with us make a difference? We hope so…

By self-catering right in the local community you’ll quickly become part of it, financially supporting small grocery shops and other family businesses. You’ll soon make relationships with these friendly people and develop a genuine understanding of the culture around you. We’re sure you’ll leave with special memories and more developed perspectives as a result of your encounters.

For each confirmed booking we arrange a tree to be planted in Turkey (via TEMA) to offset part of the carbon dioxide emission from the resulting flight. We encourage you to plant more trees: easily arranged during online booking.

We use local maintenance and cleaning services for the apartments and in this way we provide a good income for 2 families who lives nearby. We do everything we can to preserve all the original features and materials in the apartments. Where new materials are needed we source them locally, prioritising products that are designed and/or made in Turkey.

Our apartments are uniquely situated amongst mosques, churches, synagogues, a mevlevi ‘whirling dervish’ hall and other sites of religious significance. We encourage guests to sense the history of religious tolerance and hopefully! to experience something of it themselves during their stay.

Property manager

Julia and Tarkan
Premier Host
Premier Host

Languages

English, Turkish

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

House Rules

Check in after 3:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 21
Check out before 11:00 AM

Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17

Events

No events allowed

Pets

No pets allowed

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher, a first aid kit and a deadlock

We should mention

A car is not required for transport to and from this property

About the area

Istanbul

This apartment is located in Istanbul City Center, a neighbourhood in Istanbul. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Bosphorus and Florya Beach, while Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia are cultural highlights. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at Vodafone Park or Rams Park.
Map
Istanbul, Istanbul

What's nearby

  • Istiklal Avenue - 2 min walk
  • Galata Tower - 3 min walk
  • Taksim Square - 2 min drive
  • Topkapi Palace - 4 min drive
  • Grand Bazaar - 4 min drive

Getting around

  • Beyoglu Station - 3 min walk
  • Sishane-Zemin Metro Station - 3 min walk
  • Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW) - 61 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Barnathan Cafe & Brasserie - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪World House Coffee - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Snog Roof & Bar - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Cafe Privato - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Galata Kahvesi - ‬1 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata! pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

What time is check-in at Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata!?

Check-in begins at 3:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata!?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Style, character, frescoes, terrace views, Galata! located?

Located in Istanbul City Center, this apartment building is steps away from Istiklal Avenue and Galata Tower. Bosphorus and Taksim Square are also within 1 mile (2 km). Sishane-Zemin Metro Station and Beyoglu Station are within a 5-minute walk.

Reviews

9.8

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 34 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 1 out of 36 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 1 out of 36 reviews" "

9.0/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.0/10

Communication

9.0/10

Location

9.0/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Lauren S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, location, listing accuracy
Istanbul vacation
This apartment was perfect for our stay in Istanbul. The Galata neighborhood has great restaurants and shops. It is walking distance to the tram to visit the old city. The hosts provided a transit card to which we easily added money to get around the city. We booked our airport transfers through the host, too. Our transfer from the airport was smooth and the host met us at the apartment. Unfortunately, we departed very early in the morning and our transportation did not arrive. We needed to call Uber so that we wouldn't miss our flight. The host refunded the airport transfer fees quickly, which we appreciated. I would definitely recommend this property for families visiting Istanbul!
Stayed 4 nights in Jun 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jaime B.

Would absolutely stay again!
The place is even better than the photos! would absolutely stay again. The hosts were soooo friends and even had reloadable Istanbul cards for us to use.

2/10 Terrible

Leslie M.

Liked: Check-in
Disliked: Cleanliness, location, listing accuracy
MISREPRESENTED UNIT
*I PAID for a 6 night stay, but left after 1 night. Air conditioning in bedrooms but NOT THRUOUT APARTMENT. Two portable units that guest required to set up. (discharge hose must be put out a window that remains open all night) We felt UNSAFE sleeping with a window open all night....As a guest, an "on" button is all we expected to press for A/C... It's also important to know that one of the A/C failed after 1 hour operation. It turned out the water bucket was filled. So we had no air conditioning this first night . The bedroom door did not close. If this unit is listed to accommodate more than one person, how do you expect that person to have privacy if they can't close their door. Place is old and unkempt. Furniture is old, saggy and dirty. Electrical outlets loosely hanging out of wall... BTW, I also called VRBO immediately and filed a complaint. In the morning , I asked the owner for a different unit.. He said no, he had no other unit. I packed up and left. He refused to refund my money. The place is a HOVEL. There is nothing in the listing that was accurate. I've traveled for 15 years using VRBO. NEVER have I encountered a place that was so duplicitously misrepresented. VRBO should be ashamed to have this listing on their site. Because of this, I will never use VRBO again. I reached out to the owner many times requesting he refund my money. He refused. Everything in this review is ACCURATE. This is the FIRST TIME I have ever left a bad review.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Charlotte O.

Wonderful roof terrace
Julia and Tarkan’s place is lovely and a great base for a stay in Istanbul. Their communication was great, sending restaurant recommendations and tips. Check-in was really easy, as was organising airport transfers with them. The apartment itself is nice and cosy and has everything you need, including a wonderful roof terrace.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Darshna T.

We loved our stay.
We loved our stay. It was ideally located in the center of all the restaurants, shops, clubs, tourist attractions and local transport.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Farah E.

The appartment was extremely well equipped
The apartment was extremely well equipped and had a nice location right in the heart of city center with access to public transport which made our visit that much more comfortable ! Good aesthetic and functioning amenities, overall highly recommend !
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Richard O.

Awesome apartment, in a great location with friendly and efficient hosts.
Awesome apartment, in a great location with friendly and efficient hosts. Very quick response if we had questions, and offered assistance for booking certain things (day trips etc.). Beautifully furnished, very clean amenities and located in a quiet area. Had no issues with anything inside the apartment. Lovely place to stay in!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Leonora B.

Perfect! A nice neighbourhood with everything around.
Perfect! A nice neighbourhood with everything around. The communication was great. Had a good time. Thank you :)
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Sabrina H.

The apartment was nice and clean. The terrace is on the rooftop.
The apartment was nice and clean. The terrace is on the rooftop and a couple of floors up. The apartment is very well equipped: yea, coffee, wine opener :) We also found Istanbul guides like to lonely planet to our disposal, a metro and ferry card. The beds comfortable. Location The house entrance is easy to miss. It’s a quite street in the midst of this busy neighborhood. And very important to mention: very nice and quick to respond hosts. Thank you !
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Subendren S.

The communication was great and we had a seamless check-in process.
Thank you so much Julia and Tarkan, we really enjoyed staying in your apartment! It was the perfect location and with lots to do around and great local restaurants. The communication was great and we had a seamless check-in process.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Pavel O.

Amazing apartments!
Amazing apartments! Perfect location, extreme attention to details this apartment feels like home just from the very beginning. Very quiet. Very comfortable. Very clean. Bed sheets are fresh and very good quality. We enjoyed our stay! Will definitely return
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Yvonne H.

The apartment has been lovingly restored
We had a great time staying at this apartment. The mattresses are better than in some 5-star hotel. The apartment has been lovingly restored. The shuttle to the airport is perfect. I'd love to come back again!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Ирина К.

I am in love with Istanbul!
The first impression was incredible, the apartment is in the heart of Istanbul. We were greeted by a friendly man who is fluent in English and will help with a favorite question . I recommend this apartment to everyone 👍🏼 I am in love with Istanbul!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Mary A.

Loved our stay at this place!
Loved our stay at this place! The hosts were so responsive and friendly- also spoke perfect English (which was helpful as my Turkish is non-existent!). They had AC units in each of the rooms that kept the place cool, everything was very clean, and they were so helpful with recommendations for restaurants and things to do in the area. They helped us coordinate very early morning transport for a couple of flights as well The neighborhood was a stones throw from the Galata tower, and Istiklal avenue, while being very quiet and peaceful at night Would absolutely stay again
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Olivier Et Alexandra B.

Super well located apartment
Super well located apartment, clean sheets of very good quality. We recommend highly.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Vidur P.

Couldn’t recommend this place more!
Julia and Tarkan’s place was incredible for a stay in Istanbul (close to metro and other main attractions), and was very clean and spacious. They also helped arrange a taxi to the airport (including correcting an error I made with dates) and had a responsive nearby manager. Couldn’t recommend this more for travelers coming into Istanbul!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Jon D.

The place is stunning and in a fantastic location.
Five stars across the board. Julia and Tarkan proactively communicated and exceeded our expectations. The place is stunning and in a fantastic location. Would love to stay here again on the next trip to Istanbul
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Neguin A.

We had a very comfortable stay
We had a very comfortable stay at Julia & Tarkan’s place. Nicely located, clean & spacious for four people.
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Ana M.

It was such a fantastic stay!
It was such a fantastic stay! The place is amazing, we used other services too, like the airport shutlle. It made the whole travel experience effortless. I can highly recommend this place, top location, amazingly beautiful apartment with a lot of character and amazing service. We will be back!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Max T.

Great location and accommodating host
Great location and accommodating host. Would absolutely stay again if I ever return to Istanbul. Thankyou!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Kim D.

The accommodation was perfect for our family of 4
We had a fantastic 6-day break in Istanbul and the accommodation definitely made our stay easy, comfortable and relaxing! The accommodation was perfect for our family of 4 and the surrounding area had everything we needed! Thank you for giving us a great holiday!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Ahmed M.

Our family spent an excellent week
Our family spent an excellent week in Istanbul in the perfectly placed nice apartment of Julia and Tarkan, just next too Galata Tower and Istklel street with all their famous attractions and nice restaurants. The place is very cosy yet spacious (for 4 people) with a touch of classic Vintage style. The very helpful communication from the management team as well as warm reception and insights from Sule (the manager) gave us very useful guidance and tips for moving around. Many thanks for a nice week and all the best!
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Gill N.

Lovely apartment - bright and spacious!
Lovely apartment - bright and spacious! When I return, I will try and book the same place :)

10/10 Excellent

tanguy r.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Très beau sejour
Appartement propre, conforme à l’annonce, spacieux pour une famille de 5 personnes. Très bonne communication, accueil chaleureux. Idéalement situe dans le quartier de Galata, proche des restaurants et pourtant calme. Je recommande cet appartement
Stayed 5 nights in Apr 2023
This review comes from a trusted partner site and has not been verified.

10/10 Excellent

Hebe B.

Central location, Clean and spacious.
Central location. Clean and spacious. Manu restaurants, coffee shops and stores steps away. Check-in was magnificent. Always responsive and willing to answer questions and help. Our girls 4 and 8 loved their room and their twin beds.

About the host

Hosted by Julia and Tarkan

Host profile image
We've been busy, building up a collection of lovely historical apartments in Galata, our favourite part of Istanbul. We've personally renovated most of them and stay in them ourselves whenever we can. Very recently we've added a sweet flat in the UK's Cotswolds into the mix.

17 years ago we met in Istanbul, Tarkan's home city, while I was there for a photography assignment. Since then we've led international lives together, based in Istanbul, Singapore and now England, my original country.

Along the way we've raised our son, Eren, across the cultures as we've steadily grown this holiday apartment project, our second baby. We see it as a way to find balance in our family life and to always have a home in our best-loved city.

We understand from our own experiences, what makes a great city-break stay and we try our very hardest to deliver it to you in Istanbul. For this we've won i-escape's global Guest Award for 'Best City Apartment' two years running and Tripadvisor's Certificate of Excellence 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 (2020 isn’t announced yet ;). We are also listed in many guidebooks.

Your questions and booking will be handled by us. On your arrival our manager Taskin and friendly team with their natural Turkish hospitality, will welcome you to your apartment, pass over your keys and explain practicalities and the neighborhood. You'll have as much or as little help as you choose and we're sure you'll soon feel at home in the cosmopolitan and very welcoming local community.

"Life is a balance of holding on and letting go" said Rumi.
We agree, do you?!

Languages:

English, Turkish

Premier Host

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