We arrived at Ataturk Airport at 9:55 in the morning Istanbul time after a nine hour flight. The weather was hot, hazy, and very humid. It took more than an hour to get out of the airport and drive to hotel. After much research and many emails to my cousins last winter, we had decided to make reservations at The White House Hotel in the Sultanahmet District of Istanbul. Of course, you never know what to expect when you make an online hotel reservation, sight unseen, in a strange city. I am very happy to report that the White House Hotel is a winner!! It deserves it’s top rating in Trip Advisor. The young woman at the reception desk was professional and friendly and very helpful. The young man who helped us with our bags was also kind and mannerly.
The White House is a small “boutique hotel” and is very clean, comfortable, and well run. My single room (probably also a double) is on the small side, but immaculate, pleasant, and well decorated. It has a very efficient air conditioner (of which I immediately lowered the temperature), and it has free WiFi in all the rooms. The White House was completely rebuilt less than a year ago, so everything is new and clean. The hotel is situated on a small and quiet street off the main tourist routes. It seems to be a commercial neighborhood of print and photocopy shops and book stores. There are many good restaurants surrounding the hotel. Best of all the people who work in the White House are all wonderful, helpful, and friendly staff of young, eager, hardworking, pleasant people. Any time during the day or night, we were greeted with friendly welcomes.
The location of the hotel is also perfect. The Sultanahmet district is called the “old city” because it is in the heart of historic Byzantium/Constantinople where most of the tourist sights are located. The Hagia Sophia is a short ‘blocks’ away. The Blue Mosque is across a beautiful little park, and the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern, and many many restaurants are close by. The modern “tram”, runs along the street past Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, carries locals and tourists across the Golden Horn on the Galata Bridge. Topkapi Palace, the Archeological Museum, and Gulhane Park are a short walk from The White House in several directions. Up the hill, toward the north, is the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar, and enough shopping stalls in the narrow little streets to satisfy any compulsive shopaholic.
After we checked in and were shown to our rooms, we decided to walk around the neighborhood to see what was there. We also wanted to buy bottled water and to find a bank with an ATM to obtain Turkish Liras. We had asked for directions at the reception desk but missed a turn and ended up walking through a neighborhood of small clothing stores. The stores lined the narrow streets and resembled stalls in a market place. They seemed to be selling every type of clothing imaginable and reminded me of the garment district in down town Manhattan.
It would be easy to get lost and lose one’s direction in the small narrow interconnecting ancient streets and alleyways. We walked through the cobblestone maze surrounded by workers carrying and hauling boxes and bags of clothes. Men pushed hand-trucks overloaded with boxes up and down the hilly stone streets. Some other men were hunched over carrying huge loads on their backs on hand-made twine and wood “back-packs”.
Chris quickly learned the interconnecting alleyways and side streets. He was immediately able to find our way back to the hotel. Amazing!! After we found a bank, we walked down the hill toward the Hagia Sophia Museum. The area was crowded with tourists. We walked around to get our bearings and looked at the Blue Mosque and the pretty park connecting it to Hagia Sophia. The tourists seemed to be mostly Muslims with the women sporting a wide variety of feminine head coverings.
We both were hot and very tired from not sleeping on the plane to Istanbul, so we returned to the White House Hotel and took short naps in our own cool rooms. My room is on the first floor and Chris’s room is on the third floor. In the early evening, it felt a bit cooler and we returned to Divan Yolu Caddesi (the big “tram street” we called it). We found a restaurant on a small side street overlooking the Blue Mosque and had a good veggie dinner. Then Chris and I strolled leisurely back to the White House. On the way, we purchased a few postcards and bought two small pieces of baklava to eat later. It had been more than a full day and 5,123 miles travelled from New York City to Istanbul. We earned a rest!
