Hi everyone,
I am quite new here but I am very interested in 18-19th century architecture and would like to share my recent visit and a bit of the history of Pera Palace Hotel, Istanbul. Some of you might have seen a new show on Netflix called "Midnight at Pera Palace". Even though I am not a big fan of the show, it displays great captures of the historical interiors of the hotel and I would like to share a quick history with you.
The Pera Palace Hotel opened its doors to guests in 1895 during Ottoman Empire in Istanbul, in a very lively neighbourhood Beyoglu. It was built in a neo-classical and art-nouveau style by Alexander Vallaury, a French Architect who also built numerous unique and fascinating buildings in Istanbul. I might create another post maybe to show his remarkable work in Istanbul.
Anyways, you might be familiar with the famous "Orient Express" from Agatha Christie Novels which initially this hotel is made for the passengers (aristocrats) who are travelling via Orient Express. The Hotel also had unique features as being the first European Hotel in Ottoman. The elevator of the hotel was the first electrical elevators that is used in Istanbul during that time. Also, the first hotel is to give warm water to its guests. What a luxury!
What fascinates me is that Pera Palace witnessed the most critical times of all after its establishment; the decline of the Ottoman Empire, WW1, the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic. It was the hub of British soldiers during WW1 during the occupation of Istanbul. During the war, the hotel served people as a shelter. Besides that, if you visit this hotel you can see rooms of very famous people turned into museum rooms. The founder of the Turkish Republic Mustafa Kemal Ataturk used to stay here between 1917-1919. Now his room, 101, is greeting its visitors as a museum room.
Many other important people enjoyed the comfort of the hotel. Agatha Christie was one of them. Rumour has it she wrote "Murder in the Orient Express" in Room 411 during her constant stays. Many more artists, writers, kings, queens have been in this palace hotel during the 20th century; Ernest Hemingway, Alfred Hitchcock, Queen Elizabeth II, King Edward VIII.
Pera Palace Hotel is still open today and accepting its visitors. When I was in the hotel, walking down the stairs, sitting in the lobby with my drink, I felt like I was in an Agatha Christie Novel solving a mystery of a crime in the 1920s. You can smell the history from gigantic chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and can't help to imagine what those walls have witnessed for over 100 years. I am highly recommending to visit this piece of art for people who are into historical
architecture.
You can enjoy your cocktail in Orient Bar where Ernest Hemingway turned his thoughts into writing with a whiskey in hand.
Source: https://www.historichotelsthenandnow.com/perapalaceistanbul.html
https://famoushotels.org/hotels/pera-palace-hotel