It was a real treat to stay at Hikmet's place in Istanbul. With it being our first time in the city, Hikmet provided a lot of valuable services to make our stay as easy as possible. He arranged a van to pick up my group of friends (extra fee, but for us was worth it because we had 6 people, more than could fit in a taxi). He also provided us with information for day trips outside of Istanbul. Unfortunately, we ran out of time and weren't able to go on any of the trips, but were happy to have the info.

The place: beautiful basement space with bathroom, kitchen and 2 private bedrooms. Very clean and as depicted in the photo, it served as a great hub for my friends and I to relax after a long day of touring. It is extremely close to the Hagia Sofia and Blue Mosque (approximately 5 minutes walking). Hikmet also invited us for a Turkish Breakfast on his rooftop which was a really nice gesture. He also offered us his rooftop to participate in some Hookah (we ran out of time, but would love to take him up on his offer next time!)

The place fit 5 people comfortably. One thing to keep in mind is that there is only one bathroom, just something to consider whenever you have a group of people (wasn't a problem for our group). I would highly recommend staying with Hikmet if you're looking for a place in Istanbul close to the sights!