Sogukcesme Street

This iconic pedestrianised street in Sultanahmet is home to a series of lovingly restored Ottoman era houses. Built right against the walls of Topkapi Palace, these wooden mansions- which date back to the 19th and 20th centuries- were renovated in the 1980’s by the Turkish Touring and Automobile Association and converted into an Ottoman style inn.

Each house belonging to the inn is named after a particular flower and the interior reflects the history of the buildings. There is a fountain at the end of Sogukcesme Sokagi for which the street is named for, as well as a Byzantine cistern which now houses the popular Sarnic Restaurant. Also worth checking out is Istanbul Kitapligi (Library), which houses over 10,000 books about Istanbul.