We rented this modern and well fitted flat and we have no regrets. The apartment is recently renovated and has all the things necessary for the best of comfort, including a wonderful shower and a kitchenette, just perfect for cooking a small meal while you are in a vacation. Cleanliness is also a big plus of this place, and in our opinion as future interior architects, the interior design of this space is just perfectly solved.A cozy, clean and comfortable apartment in a lovely wooden house in the heart of a historic neighborhood made us feel just very lucky to have found it. Living in Istanbul is one thing, but living in Balat,is like living back in time in the period of the Ottoman Empire with a touch of modern times just to make you more comfortable. It is also very close to the modern center of Istanbul, Taksim, which you can reach in 15 minutes with a bus, and in less then 10 minutes you can get to Eminonu. Of course you should know this is a huge metropolis and not a usual city and at times it can also be traffic, but walking along the Golden Horn shore cannot be anything else but a pleasure.The first time when we left the apartment in Kiremit Cadessi we found it very hard to decide which direction to follow. We found ourselves in a huge urban museum: Constantinople inside the walls: 1.Down and right we could go to Saint George Church, the Holy Seat of the Orthodox Patriarchate .Together with the Red School, it represents the Eastern Vatican for the Eastern Christian World; 2.Down and left following the old Constantinople wall is the Byzantine Emperors Palace and the blessed spring of cold water 3.Up and right the marvelous jewelry of Fethihe Cami. All of these in less than 10 minutes short walk by foot.We were very happy to reach a bazaar market in our first trip.You can find there lots of fresh fruits and vegetables at a very good price compared to Taksim or other shops. Eating in town is also a good solution, there is nothing better then the turkish cuisine.You can find at anytime new attractions:fish, ciorba, lachmacum, kebab,simit, Turkish sweets and other delights at a reasonable price and do not forget the refreshing tea and ice cream. Breakfast was the easiest choice for us because it was delivered every morning by a street vendor directly under our window. Our host,Isil, is the kindest woman we’ve met. She has been so kind to sort out as soon as possible, any questions or trouble we’ve had during our stay. We felt very safe with her and we hope to keep in touch. So, if you want to visit Istanbul and escape from a daily routine and see a completely different world from Western Europe but also have the comfort of your home, we strongly recommend staying in this place.We are most certain you will enjoy it.

Ana and Alexandra