The good: the best location in Galata by far. There is so much space in the apartment you could easily fit 8 people if you wanted to. Wonderful decor and beautiful high ceilings. The couch is super comfy and all the furniture was nice. Lots of extra sheets, blankets, and towels. You can see everything going on from the windows and each room has windows which is wonderful. The host Barkin was incredibly lovely , they are a wonderful family. She always quickly responded to my questions immediately and her English was perfect. Really such a wonderful host. Thank you Barkin!
The bad: the black mold all over the wall in the dining room was really an issue. We had sinus headaches from the humidity and mold- if you have respiratory problems I would suggest not coming. There is no air conditioning- this is a big factor if you plan on coming to the Middle East during summertime. Very sweaty and hot. The washing machine broke before we could use it (we needed to wash our sweaty clothes) and we had to spend one of our four afternoons at home so they could come look at it to confirm it was broken. There is constant noise from about 9am-3pm from construction directly connected to the apartment- it is extremely loud, the noise at night from the road makes it difficult to sleep.The bathrooms are typical European “wet rooms” - if you are North American, you may be surprised about not having a proper shower. Be sure to bring your own shampoo and conditioner, it is not provided.
Special note: please be aware that Galata tower is often targeted as a place to commit suicide. Unfortunately, on our last day staying at the apartment, we witnessed the suicide of a young man jumping off the tower and dying directly in front of our apartment building. It was difficult to sleep that last night knowing what had happened and we have both enrolled in therapy since. Obviously this is not the fault of our wonderful host!