Istanbul is traditionally considered a city with a high concentration of historical attractions, but there are quite a lot of modern museums and entertainment for every taste. Today’s story is dedicated to Istanbul’s Beyoglu district and the Witt Istanbul Hotel.
Location and history
Witt Istanbul Hotel is located in the Cihangir quarter and occupies a modern six-storey building. The owner of Witt Istanbul has long chosen a place suitable for opening a boutique hotel. Cihangir is a quiet cozy quarter, built up with expensive residential complexes. The Witt Istanbul Hotel opened in 2008 and offers 18 loft rooms designed by autoban, a well-known studio far beyond Turkey. A year after the opening, the design of the Witt Istanbul Hotel was awarded the first award, photos of the rooms were published in all major interior design magazines.
Room stock
The rooms have parquet floors, all textile finishes are hypoallergenic, all rooms have a beautiful view, retro-modern furniture, made to order especially for hotel rooms, includes large double beds, comfortable sofas, spacious dressing rooms and rocking chairs. The air-conditioned rooms at Witt Istanbul Hotel are equipped with iPod stations, Wi-Fi access, flat-screen cable TVs, telephones and large safes, minibars and Nespresso coffee makers. The bathrooms are decorated with natural marble, at guests’ disposal – expensive cosmetics and textiles. In the rooms of the highest price category there are small kitchens with everything you need for cooking simple dishes and drinks. The Queen Panoramic and Superior King Panoramic rooms, located on the top floor, have private terraces with sunbathing couches.
Meals and services at the hotel
The hotel does not have its own restaurant, and breakfast consisting of organic local products is served in the hall on the ground floor. All rooms are non-smoking, room service is available around the clock, the hotel has parking. Guests of Witt Istanbul Hotel can spend time in the lobby bar, living room with library, for business meetings there is a meeting room equipped with all necessary office equipment.
Nearby Attractions
Next door to Witt Istanbul is the Beyoğlu district. The District of Beyoglu appeared on the map of Istanbul in the early 19th century, but it is known that in a fortified settlement, separated from the central part of the city by a bay, from the 5th century AD. Genoese and other foreign traders settled. Today, Beyoglu occupies the northern coast of the Golden Horn Bay from galata Bridge to Taksim Square. This is perhaps the most Europeanized and urbanized district of Istanbul: palaces of foreign embassies were built here, banks, representative offices of foreign companies were opened, their employees lived and worked here. Today’s Beyoğlu is the center of Istanbul’s cultural life.
Independence Street
During the day on the main street of the istiklal Caddesi district (Independence Street), built up with buildings in the style of classicism and art nouveau, there is a brisk trade, and in the evenings visitors are attracted by restaurants, cafes, bars and discos. With other parts of Istanbul, the Beyoglu district is connected by one of the oldest metro lines in the world.
Tunel metro line
The length of the Tunel line is only 600 meters, and in fact it is a funicular – a road on cable traction. The Tunel Line goes to the famous Galata Bridge – after he appeared in the film “Girl on the Bridge” with Vanessa Paradis in the title role, his popularity among tourists has increased many times. The first Galatian Bridge was built in the middle of the 19th century, it bore the name valide Bridge and the passage through it was paid. Today’s Galata Bridge is the fifth in a row, was built in 1995: this bridge is two-tiered, a tram line is laid along the upper level, and expensive restaurants are located on the lower one.
Galatian Tower
The visiting card of the Beyoglu district is the 61-meter Galata Tower, which is visible from almost all points of the central part of Istanbul. Standing on a hill tower, built by the Genoese in the middle of the 14th century, 140 meters above sea level. The tower was part of a system of fortifications, and over the centuries changed its name repeatedly as it was rebuilt. Today, the Galata Tower has the status of a museum object, an elevator has appeared inside the tower, taking tourists to the upper level, where the observation deck, café and restaurant are located.
Museum of Modern Art – Istanbul Modern
In December 2004, the Museum of Contemporary Art – Istanbul Modern was opened in Beyoglu. No new building was built: the experience of Europe proved that abandoned industrial buildings are perfect for this purpose. The Istanbul exposition is located on the territory of the reconstructed warehouses in the port of Karaköy. On the second floor there is a permanent exhibition of Turkish art of the 20th century, the lower (underground) floor was allocated for temporary exhibitions. In addition to exhibitions, the museum has a library with free Wi-Fi, a multimedia room, a store of books and albums on art, a modern café, from where a magnificent view of the Bosphorus opens through huge windows.
