The Gateway to the East

SwissAir flight: Rome (FCO) - Zurich (ZRH) - Istanbul (IST) Mediocre airline. The stopover in Zurich is uncomfortable.

Hotel: Il Naz Wooden House is a small, elegant and attractive hotel in the heart of the old town. The rooms have a view of the Bosphorus (the 2nd floor is better) or of the minarets of the Blue Mosque. They are not very large but are furnished elegantly and offer guests nice and rather welcome "amenities" (fresh fruit and more). The staff are welcoming and the area could be extremely quiet if it weren't for the railway line that passes behind the hotel (Bosphorus side). At night, though, we didn't hear any train go by. Those sleeping on the Blue Mosque side should be ready to be woken early by the unusual and anything but boring call of the Muezzin for the first of the five morning prayers.

Its strong point is its very central location, just a few minutes' walk (15 max at a relaxed pace) from Istanbul's most important Byzantine and Ottoman museums such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the Basilica Cistern.