Alpay's place is what you'd expect if you were following a recommendation from Architectural Digest. It's glamorous, immaculate, and artistic. He did an outstanding job renovating a flat in an old town building, and now it rivals a 5-star hotel in terms of both design and function. Brilliant interior, a true oasis!
Now, for context, you will be staying smack in the middle of the lighting district, i.e. all the shops selling lights and lighting fixtures are open and bustling during the day. That's very cool. This can mean no cabs to the apartment building until the evening: the streets are old and narrow, and there are vans loading and unloading merchandise during business hours, blocking access. We didn't mind, as we travel light and walk most everywhere, but smth to keep in mind: you might be dropped off 3-4 min away. The apartment is also on the 3rd floor, a vigorous walkup. We think this listing is perfect for active travelers who travel light and are light on their feet and want to experience a slice of authentic, old Istanbul, and at the end of the day come back to a beautifully appointed flat. Alpay is a responsive host, who answered all our questions and went above and beyond.