“The sun that suddenly rises behind the hills of Pera, over the minarets of the city and the Golden Horn, fills your heart with a crimson joy. Everything that was asleep all night long is waking up now…”

This is how Knut Hamsun, Norwegian writer and Nobel laureate in literature who visited Istanbul at the end of 1800’s describes the morning he woke up at Pera.

Like other western intellectuals - from Alphonse de Lamartine to Gérard de Nerval, from Pierre Loti to Theophile Gaultier - Hamsun delighted in visits to this imperial city, a city which changed the course of history forever.

As Istanbul became more accessible due to the 19th century developments of transportation, the capital to three ancient empires began to reveal its mysterious identity to the world. First, humble board and lodgings opened up for visitors coming to Istanbul to see the springtime pink-purple Judas trees on the slopes of the Bosphorus, the works of world famous Ottoman architect Sinan and the narrow, stone paved streets where over 40 different languages were spoken.

When the worldwide famous Orient Express chose Istanbul as its last stop in the East, Istanbul began to attract not only adventurers, but also the more elite and noble classes of Europe.

Unfortunately, there were yet no hotels in the city to meet the high standards of the Orient Express passengers.

Soon, the Pera Palace Hotel in Tepebasi, which was founded in 1892 and celebrated with its grand opening ball in 1895, was able to fill this gap.


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Istanbul resident and Levantine architect Alexander Vallaury designed the hotel in neo-classical, art nouveau and oriental styles, giving Pera Palace its timeless, refined look.

Pera Palace Hotel, was home to many firsts. Apart from the Ottoman Palaces, it was the first building to have electricity as well as the first electric elevator. British writer Daniel Farson described the elevator in these words: “It is the most beautiful elevator in the world made of cast iron and wood... It ascends like a lady who curtsies. Tourists can not take their eyes off this utterly pretty and aristocrat elevator.” Bathrooms that provided the only running hot water in the city were also privileges exclusive to Pera Palace Hotel guests. Tall spacious rooms lit by magnificent chandeliers were host to many unforgettable tea and dance parties.

Pera Palace Hotel, a significant prominent symbol of Istanbul's urban culture for over a hundred years, was also witness to many historical events such as World War I, the Occupation of Istanbul, the Turkish War of Independence, the founding of the Turkish Republic and World War II.