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Turkey, now formally known as Türkiye, has museums displaying priceless remnants of ancient civilisations. Still, only one hotel does the same with items found right on the premises. Under the premises would be more accurate; when excavation began in the construction of Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet, dozens of beautiful artefacts were revealed. They are now seen throughout the public areas of this charming hotel in a convenient pocket of Istanbul’s Sultanahmet area, which is only two blocks from the Blue Mosque yet insulated from the tourist hordes approaching it from the other side. Inside the guestrooms are different works of art in the form of ceramics and kilims, for which Türkiye has been famous for centuries.

Eresin’s outstanding position on Kuçukayasofya Caddesi (Little Aya Sofya Street) makes it a top choice for accommodation in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district where so many world-famous sights are located, not to mention many sights not so well known yet every bit as worthy of a visit. Eresin Sultanahmet is a perfect base within a very short walking distance of the Hippodrome, Blue Mosque, Aya Sofya (the big one), and Topkapi Palace, but at the same time offers a comparatively tranquil place to stay where crowds are absent. One of the less visited sights in Istanbul is the Little Aya Sofya Mosque, for which the street is named. Here in this beautiful building just down the street from Eresin, the number of tourists can be counted on one hand. A five-minute walk from Eresin, away from the more famous sights, is the imposing Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque complex, where a recent visit required sharing the gorgeous interior with precisely one other person. This is how travel is meant to be: taking all the time one wants to contemplate the marvels visited without elbows, cameras, or shouts of other people intruding on the experience.

: Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet suite living room decorated with Turkish art.

: Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet’s Mosaic Terrace restaurant.

: Eresin Sultanahmet lounge area.

Eresin Hotels Sultanahmet is similarly tranquil. A small property with 59 rooms, including five spacious one-bedroom suites, it is part of the family-owned Eresin Hotels group. The Eresin family maintains tight control over quality in its accommodation, F&B, and staffing so that the guest experience is seamlessly enjoyable. The hotel’s Mosaic restaurant serves a bountiful breakfast buffet with Turkish and Western options. By night, it becomes a welcoming venue where traditional Turkish dishes are enjoyed while admiring the ancient mosaic seen through a transparent porthole on the floor. Though the hotel is only a few hundred metres from the Great Palace Mosaics Museum, it is fun to see a work of comparable quality in the hotel. Other items seen around the hotel’s ground floor include ancient walls showcasing architectural details of the past and impressive columns in the aptly named Column Bar. As is customary in Türkiye, a country that surely ranks as one of the friendliest in the world, employees at Eresin Sultanahmet can’t do enough for the hotel’s guests to ensure they are smiling all day long.

: Eresin Sultanahmet lobby sitting area.

: Ancient columns in Eresin Sultanahmet’s Column Bar.

Food and drinks can also be enjoyed on Eresin Sultanahmet’s rooftop terrace, where the superb view encompasses the Blue Mosque and the walls of the Hippodrome to one side and Little Aya Sofya and the Sea Of Marmara to the other. The terrace is a splendid place to start the day, with breakfast served outdoors in warmer weather. Not that food is required to feel satisfied when the sublime views of Istanbul, one of the world’s great cities, are satiation enough.