Four Seasons Hotels Istanbul: From prison to palace

Have you ever imagined waking up in an ultra-luxurious hotel and strolling in its lavish gardens profuse with giant, red roses against the romantic yellow walls only to find out that this same edifice used to be a prison 100 years ago?

For the initiated who has experienced an eclectic indulgence called Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul in Sultanahmet, it is both romantic and humbling to discover that the more-than-century-old edifice used to be a prison cell where famous artists, political figures and renowned writers like Nazim Hikmer were among its celebrated detainees.

What used to be hard bread and sparse water served to the inmates has been replaced with delectable cuisine enjoyed now by the hotel’s clients who rave about its award-winning and impeccable room service. The prison’s cold slab as an uncomfortable mattress had been changed to beds that bring cloud-like comfort to those who lie on them.

Posh elegance now rules at Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul in Sultanahmet. If only the walls could speak to reveal the past events that unfolded. As it is, one can certainly feel the power of history and culture as one walks through this 65-room storied property not just within the hotel compound but in the surrounding architectural treasures.

Sinan Kadafar, passionate traveler, young Turkish architect who completely redesigned the hotel interiors, once said, “I think people need to be soothed rather than stimulated after a day’s sight-seeing so I set out to create an atmosphere where the design and decoration don’t force themselves on you.” Kafadar evoked Turkey’s history and traditions in several ways while keeping the balance with cosmopolitan modernity. 

All this and more were the hotel treats that my best friend Bum Tenorio and I enjoyed in Turkey recently. 

As we inspected several hotel rooms with balconies and terraces, Bum broke into an animated song as we savored these unforgettable spectacles and appreciated the joy that such travel brings. Can you imagine on one side, towering high above the hotel towards the ethereal heavens, is the vast expanse of the Hagia Sophia, established as a church in the sixth century, converted into a mosque nine years later and now it is a magnificent museum. Adjacent to it is the Topkapi Palace, which used to be the political center of the Ottoman Empire between the 14th and 19th centuries.

Topkapi is now a museum that houses many treasures of Istanbul, including the Spoondaggers with diamonds of gargantuan proportions. We were near tears as we chanced upon the poignant silhouette of the Blue Mosque as the sun was beginning to set against the six slender minarets. It felt like a surreal encounter with the synergy of man’s creation and nature’s sublime canvas as the palaces and churches illuminated from all sides appeared like floating jewels in the ebony sky. All these architectural wonders are just more than 50 steps away from the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul in Sultanahmet.

Created in 1919 by architect Yalcin Ozuekren, whose portrait appears on 2009’s Turkish 20-lira banknote, the building of Four Seasons Instanbul in Sultanahmet is an archetype of Turkish neoclassical architecture with pointed arches, ornate tiles and dramatic towers. With the prison walls between former cells torn down to allow spacious rooms with scenic windows that show off the central courtyard, this is the juxtaposition of the dreary ambiance of a prison. If this renovated edifice still aspires to detain, it is for luxurious comfort and royal pampering alone.

The prison stood empty as a military jail in the ‘60s. In 1966, Four Seasons gave it a new life. And today, like the rest of the hotels in this illustrious chain, it embraces the company culture that is based on a single, basic principle: the Golden Rule.

Isadore Sharp, founder and chairman of the hotel, said that to treat others as you wish to be treated is a universal value practiced in every country, culture and religion. The hotel’s general manager, Felix Murillo, further mentioned, “It is the universality of the Golden Rule that empowers the Four Seasons’ culture with its emotional power that defines every interaction with their guests, business partners and each other.”

To experience Istanbul is an exhilarating walk down centuries of rich history and culture.  Once the hub of the mighty Ottoman Empire, today one finds a fusion of ancient vainglories and a progressive contemporary culture. We met up with Turkish tour guide Oguz Gonku who gave us a private tour of the city. He brought us to the oldest shopping mall in the world — the Grand Bazaar, established in 1461, eight years after the conquest of Istanbul by the 21-year-old Sultan Mehmet. It’s labyrinthine to navigate around the 850 shops inside the Grand Bazaar.  Spellbinding, too, are the more than 4,000 shops around it. Just outside the Grand Bazaar is the long stretch of the world’s oldest bookstore. The locals only buy gold at the Grand Bazaar. The unsuspecting tourists find everything their hearts desire here.

The Spice Bazaar, also known as the Egyptian Bazaar, according to Oguz, was founded in 1597 by the Sultan’s mother named Hatice for the simple purpose of keeping the goods imported from Egypt. Bum and I had a field day tasting all the Turkish delights and apple tea at the Spice Bazaar! 

We explored the old city on foot. We even ate the most delicious fish sandwiches at the foot of the Galata Bridge and made friends with the congenial storeowners around. There were friendly jewelry designers, restaurateurs, and owners of bed and breakfasts, carpet and Turkish jewels and the like.

Having explored Four Seasons Istanbul in Sultanahmet for three days, it was time to transfer to our next home in the city: the alluring Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus.

As we boarded our hotel car to proceed to the Bosphorus area, we  recalled the magical memory of seeing the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul in Sultanahmet for the very first time at dawn after passing through very dark and the cobblestone streets with their yellow lights from the centuries-old lampposts and structures.

At the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, we were welcomed by the palatial complex situated by the Bosphorus river with an amazing view of the illuminated bridge. At night, the bridge that connects the Asian and European sides of Istanbul comes alive as it bursts in a splay of festive colors. This rhythmic elegance can be enjoyed at the promenade area of the hotel.

It was a stunning sight as we chanced upon the dramatic Black Sea and Sea of Marmara linked by the narrow Strait of Bosphorus, the world’s second-busiest international shipping lane.  Gloriously straddling the European side of the waterway, the luxury hotel’s panorama encompasses the enchanting domes, minarets of the Old City with a charm and drama that is unparalleled.

A cosmopolitan escape unlike any other in Istanbul, each luxury hotel room at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus is a bright and airy example of what happens when new meets old, with the best possible results. Chic, luxury Istanbul hotel-room interiors mingle with centuries-old architectural details as balmy sea breezes give way to panoramic waterfront, garden and city views. As always, Four Seasons’ signature service is a quiet presence as you relax, dine and celebrate among Bosphorus’ most beautiful and historic spaces. 

A traditional hammam (Turkish bath) treatment awaited us at the luxurious setting of the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus. At the hotel Spa, we were pampered like royalty as hammam attendants scrubbed us while we lay on a round heated marble with our bodies soaked in suds and bubbles. The rinsing part was both refreshing and enriching as hammam attendants asked Bum and me to sit at the edge of the heated marble as they each poured lukewarm water on us. The Turkish bath was one lavish moment of self-pampering that renewed our spirits.

The Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul in Sultanahmet and Bosphorus offer sublime indulgence that nurtures the body, mind and soul. They can only be alluded to as magical and mesmerizing, even enthralling and enchanting. Why wouldn’t they be — what used to be a prison and a palace are now sanctuaries to escape to and not escape from.

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 For bookings on Turkish Airlines, call 864-0600, 864-0598 or e-mail sales@thy.com.ph or visit website www.thy.com.ph

E-mail the author at miladay.star@gmail.com.