In which quarter house in Istanbul?

Where to put his suitcases to enjoy the stambouliot life? Follow this mini-guide of the best areas to stay in Istanbul!

Turkey’s tentacular capital with feet in the Bosphorus Strait and the Black Sea, one arm in Asia Minor and the other in Europe, Istanbul – formerly Byzance, then Constantinople – is the cultural, economic and financial centre of the country. With more than 15 million inhabitants, it is one of the world’s largest megacities. Finding a sleeping accommodation here can be cheap, but you have to choose where to stay in Istanbul. With an infinitely rich history and a colossal cultural heritage, the “second Rome” attracts more than 9.5 million visitors per year and has a multitude of historical monuments (Saint Sophia Basilica, Blue Mosque Süleymanye Mosque, etc.). In addition, some neighbourhoods are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Whether it’s historical, bourgeois, popular, picturesque, or festive, student and commercial neighborhoods, the city of Istanbul can offer you a plurality of different atmospheres from one quarter to another. And like everywhere else, this pearl of Bosphore has a wide range of accommodations: hotel, hostel, room at home, apartment rental... Here's where to sleep in Istanbul.

Sultanahmet, historic city

The historic part of the city is located in what is known as the Golden Horn, on a small peninsula in the heart of the city. This is where most famous historical monuments are concentrated, like the famous Saint-Sophie Basilica – which was successively Christian basilica, mosque and then very frequent museum -, the Blue Mosque – or Sultanahmet Mosque -, the Grand Bazar and the imposing Topkapi Palace . Sleeping in Sultanahmet is able to visit the stambouliot heritage on foot but you must be able to find a way in the hordes of visitors who flock every day in the area, and who – mass tourism – obligate – depossess the neighborhood of its stambouliot identity. To stay in Sultanahmet, the offer of accommodation goes from the cheap hostel to the charming hotel five times starred.

Taksim and Beyoğlu

Just across the street, on the other side of the Golden Horn, there are the “ Temples” of the party and shopping. If you have consumerist impulses, it is this neighborhood where you have to sleep in Istanbul. It is an area frequented by the premises during the day and at night. Very commercial indeed, we come there to stroll, debuste the best product (dressing, food, decoration, etc.), drink a good black coffee or a tea on the terrace, and party in the evening. Taksim is a central and commercial area while Beyoğlu is renowned for its nightclubs and numerous bars. Rents to find accommodation or a hotel can be raised and the neighborhood can be, you will have understood, a little noisy. Moreover, it is the modern side of Istanbul that will seduce you here, with its old quarters now among the most trendy of the city.

Galata, a city in the city

Peached between the effervescent Taksim and the banks of the Bosphorus, Galata is a neighborhood where you will have to walk, survey, climb and descend: the alleys are steeped and intertwined on windy slopes, for the greatest happiness of visitors who love to lose themselves in the mazes of popular lanes. The offer of accommodation is abundant and you will certainly find what you need to stay in Istanbul without being far from the city centre (the Sultanahmet district is not far away). One of the most charming neighborhoods in the city and at very affordable prices.