Pera Palace Hotel and the Orient Express

The Pera Palace Hotel is a historic special category hotel and museum hotel located in the Pera district. It was built in 1892 for the purpose of hosting the passengers of the Orient Express and was named after the place where it is located. It holds the title of "the oldest European hotel in Turkey". The hotel is in walking distance of Istiklal Avenue, Taksim Square.

Building work began in 1892 and the grand opening ball was held in 1895. Alexander Vallaury, a French-Ottoman architect living in the city designed the hotel in a blend of neo-classical, art nouveau and oriental styles.

The hotel was the first building in the Ottoman Empire to be powered by electricity, other than the imperial palaces. It was also the only address in the city to provide hot running water for its guests and was home to the first electric elevator in Constantinople. It was also the second electric elevator in Europe.[7]

The hotel has 115 rooms and 16 suites. It has been renovated several times, and at present looks very much like the original, including a very simple reception desk.


The folder also includes some images from The Oreint Express Terminus in Istanbul.