Lovely old house in Balat - a great area to stay, easy access to public transport and good restaurants within a short walk

We really enjoyed staying here as a family. My favourite part of Istanbul to stay in. First time my wife & I came we missed not being able to share our experience with our daughters so we returned. Highly recommended.

We enjoyed our stay at the Turquoise House very much. Lovely decorations, a cozy bed, clean bathrooms, and plenty of space for our family (couple and 1 daughter). We liked exploring this section of Istanbul, and found the people to be friendly and helpful. Our daughter arrived earlier than expected, and found the apartment, but could not get her phone to connect with the owners. After a long day of travel, she was stuck on the front stoop in some distress, when a neighborhood woman came by, offered her the use of her phone and a simit (Turkish bagel). The neighborhood is poor but safe, and we loved learning about the culture and history of the area as we explored. Be aware, you will encounter a lot of walking, up and down steep hills on very narrow roads. We did have some problems with taxi drivers finding the place. In fact, on our way from the airport, the service the owners arranged for us took us to the wrong place--a hotel in the middle of the city, rather than the apartment and then had trouble locating the neighborhood.

Loved everything the area the people the shops