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BW Empire Palace
Hotel
This is the true spirit
of Istanbul- welcoming and pleasing! No matter if for a
business trip or a family holiday, the loveliest and most
convenient place to stay is this S-Class Hotel. Built in
the 17th century, Best Western Empire Palace is an old
Ottoman house set 400 meters away from the domes and minarets
of the Blue Mosque. The Boutique hotel offers comfort and
pleasure for all kinds of travelers. |
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DISCOVER ISTANBUL AT BEST WESTERN EMPIRE PALACE
HOTEL |
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RUMELI FORTRESS UP
The great fortress of Rumeli Hisar, built by Sultan Mehmet II in the year 1452,
is located immediately opposite Anadolu Hirasi, which was built by Yildirim Beyazit
I sixty years earlier. With a fortress on either side of the Bosphorus, it was
the first step in Mehmets plan to capture the Byzantine capital.
Mehmet had sent out orders throughout his Empire for 1000 skilled masons and
2000 workmen to collect wood and building stone and to assemble here in the spring,
Stone was brought from Anatolia. Mehmet himself laid out the design, dictated
by the lie of the land, and each of his three Vezirs, the Grand Vezir, Candarli
Halil Pasa, Zaganos Pasa, and Saruca Pasa were made responsible for building
a tower, while the Sultan himself undertook the walls and bastions, introducing
a healthy sprit of competition.
When it was completed a garrison of 400 Janissaries was stationed in it and here
they tried out the range of their new cannons by training them on any ships rash
enough to try to pass.
After the Conquest, the fortress found a new role as a prison before gradually
falling into disrepair.
In 1953, 500 years after the Conquest, Rumeli Hisar Fortress was well restored,
and the space inside laid out with lawns and paths. The cistern on which the
mosque once stood still marked by the stump of its minaret was opened up and
converted into an open air theatre where plays and folk dancing are performed
during the summer, especially at the time of the Istanbul Festival.
CAMLICA HILL UP
The great Camlica Hill stands about four kilometers east of Uskudar and can be
reached by car. It is the taller of the twin peaks of Mount Bulgurlu, the highest
point in the vicinity of Istanbul, 267 meters above sea level. It has a small
teahouse in the midst of the pine grove which gives the peak its name.
From here, there is an absolutely magnificent view, which makes it well worth
the climb. In the morning when the sun is still easterly one has a panoramic
sight of the whole city, the Bosphorus almost as far as the Black Sea, the Marmara
Sea with the Princes Islands, and behind that, the great snow covered ridge of
Uludag, the Bithynian Olympus. Toward evening the sun sets almost directly behind
Istanbul and its domes and minarets are silhouetted against the flaming western
sky like a splendid stage drop.
Especially in the spring are these hills and valleys most beautiful, for everywhere
is a profusion of the most varied wildflowers and many unusual birds.
PRINCES ISLANDS UP
The most famous of all the beauty spots in the suburbs of Istanbul are the Princes
Islands, the little suburban archipelago just off the Asia coast of the Marmara.
The isles are about an hour's sail by ferry from Sirkeci.
It is only in the last hundred years or so that the Princes Islands have become
fashionable as resorts and places to bathe and picnic. Before that they were
sparsely inhabited and rarely visited. But their picturesque and historical associations
appealed to the romantic imagination of the nineteenth century.
The nine isles are situated between 20 and 30 kilometers south of Istanbul in
the Marmara Sea. It is a rather surprising fact that there are no cars on the
islands, people have to use horse drawn carriages as a means of transport. Walking
through well kept gardens and parks, the visitor will be fascinated by the charm
of the southern flora and will keep this excursion forever in his mind. A Latin
inscription on a tomb stone on the island of Burgaz proves that already before
Constantin a great number of Roman pagan temples could be found here.
The first of the islands is called Kinaliada (henna coloured ýsland ) where sunbathers
can find lovely pebble beaches which are suitable for swimming. Of the former
two Byzantine monasteries only some remnants of brickwork are still visible.
The second of the islands is Burgazada. Its highest elevation rises 165 meters
above sea level. There are excellent possibilities for watersports activities
on this island and for people who enjoy walking there are endless beautiful footpaths.
The third island is Heybeliada ( saddle bag ýsland ) on which the Turkish naval
academy is situated . Until 1970 this island was also the residence of the theological
seminary of the Orthodox Church.
The fourth island and the largest of the Princes Islands is Buyukada
A visit to Buyukada is particularly recommended because the island is a paradise
of pleasure. Splendid villas, in well-kept gardens, restaurants, hotels, clubs
and recreation facilities attract more and more visitors every year. You can
explore the island on foot, by horse and carriage, or for those more energetic
and adventurous, you can ride a donkey or rent a bicycle. |
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HOTEL EMPIRE PALACE ISTANBUL
Phone : 0090 212 514 54 00
Fax : 0090 212 514 54 10
E-Mail : info@hotelempirepalace.com
Adress : Hocapasa Mah. Hudavendigar Street / Sirkeci - Istanbul, TURKEY |
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| Best Western hotels are independently
owned and operated. © 2002-2009
Best Western International, Inc. All rights reserved. |
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Each Best Western® hotel is independently owned and
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All rights reserved.
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