Istanbul is one of the world's earliest settlements and is a center where many cultures and civilizations have met and integrated for centuries. Today, it is a modern metropolis that has preserved its classical beauty, mosques, bazaars, bridges, gardens, memorials and palaces. Istanbul, which has become the meeting point of Asia and Europe, offers the only 5-star hotel in the heart of the city’s center. Located in Taksim Talimhane district, Elite World Istanbul Hotel is right in the heart of the city’s center of business, shopping, tourism, government, art, entertainment and health, and located near a number of top Istanbul attractions. It is 17 kilometers from IST-Ataturk Airport and 50 kilometers from SAW-Sabiha Gokcen Airport. The hotel is only 1 kilometer from Lufti Kirdar Congress Center, Military Museum and Pera Area and 2 kilometers from Cevahir Shopping Center. Sultanahmet (Old City) and Bosphorus Bridge are 5 kilometers away and the Reina/Sortie Night Club is 6 kilometers from the hotel. Numerous companies have offices within 3 kilometers of the hotel, including Samsung, Electrolux, HSBC and LG. Within a 30 kilometer radius are Areva, Canon, Philips, Siemens, Total, Ford Motors, HP, Unilever, City Group, Hyundai, Nestle, Vodafone and Lily.
Luxe Top Ten Things to do in Istanbul
Hagia Sophia
One of the greatest marvels of architecture, constructed as a basilica in the 6th century by Emperor Justinian, the Hagia Sophia is most magnificent of all of the Byzantine churches. Materials were brought from Ephesus, Athens, Rome, and Delphi and were used in the construction of the building. The church was opened for worship five years later, in 537.
Blue Mosque
Facing Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque is famous for its cascading domes and six slender minarets. It dominates the skyline of Istanbul. In the 17th century, Sultan Ahmet wanted to build an Islamic place of worship that would be even better than the Hagia Sophia, and the mosque named for him is the result. The two great architectural achievements now stand next to each other in Istanbul's main square, and it is up to visitors to decide which is more impressive.
Hippodrome
The Hippodrome is the center of a variety of Istanbul’s events, including chariot races and sporting events as well as political activities of the old city.
Grand Cover Bazaar
The Grand Cover Bazaar is one of the most attractive shopping centers in the world and the biggest ''souk'' in the world. It has nearly 4,000 shops selling antiques, jewelry, gold, carpets, leatherwear and souvenirs.
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace was the residence of Ottoman Sultans. Its exhibits include the Imperial Treasury, sacred Islamic relics, Chinese porcelain and weapons. There is also a calligraphy section.
Istiklal Street
Istiklal is a street filled with restaurants, shops and night clubs.
Cevahir Shopping Center
Cevahir Shopping Center is the biggest shopping center in Europe.
Rustem Pasa Mosque
Designed by the court architect Sinan for the Grand Vizier of Suleyman the Magnificent, the Rustem Pasa Mosque is a typical example of Islamic architecture amidst the rows of shops near the Spice Bazaar, which is famous for its exquisite and colorful tiles set in floral and geometric designs.
Golden Horn
The Golden Horn is a historic inlet of the Bosphorus, dividing the city of Istanbul and forming the natural harbor that has sheltered Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Ottoman and other ships for thousands of years. It is an estuary that joins the Bosphorus just at the point where that strait enters the Sea of Marmara forming a peninsula, the tip of which is Old Istanbul (ancient Byzantine and Constantinople).
Spice Bazaar and Zindan Han
The Spice Bazaar (Egyptian bazaar) is one of the oldest bazaars in the city and is the second largest covered shopping complex after the Grand Bazaar. It is famous for its mystical smells of different aromas of various spices and its shops selling fruits, vegetables, fish, flowers etc. On a formal tour, the afternoon Spice Bazaar can be substituted with Zindan Han, which was the first Women’s Prison in the world built during the Byzantine Empire by the Ottomans. Today, it has been restored back to its original style.
