Inside the Historical Buildings in Sirkeci

Grand Sirkeci Hotel has a long history due to being located in the center of the historical peninsula. Grand Sirkeci Hotel offers its guests a unique perspective of Istanbul by reflecting the city’s old soul at every corner. From the hotel room views to the surrounding buildings and shops, it is a magical place that will take you on a trip to the past. In this blog post, you will not only learn about the history of the hotel but also the buildings in the historical peninsula. 

Sirkeci: Hub of the City

Sirkeci is a neighborhood in the Fatih district in Istanbul. One of the oldest districts in the city, Fatih was named after Sultan Mehmed II, meaning “conqueror” in Turkish. Due to its proximity to historical locations and landmarks such as the Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia and historical bazaars, Sirkeci is among the most-visited neighborhoods in the city.

Being in the center of the historical peninsula, Sirkeci is naturally a hotspot for tourists with its commercial buildings. Hosting many Turkish restaurants, boutique hotels, shops and bookstores, visitors in Istanbul can easily find what they are looking for. With transportation links that allow visitors to go anywhere in Istanbul, hotels in Sirkeci are mainly preferred by tourists. 

Buildings with A Rich History

Grand Sirkeci Hotel

Similar to other buildings in its surroundings, Grand Sirkeci Hotel’s history dates back to the Ottoman Period. Known to be one of the first reinforced concrete buildings in the Ottoman Empire, the hotel is still standing in the center of Sirkeci. The first reinforced concrete building in the Ottoman Empire is thought to be “Mekteb-i Tıbbiye-i Şahane” which was the first medical faculty in the history of Turkey. It was established in 1827. The building, on the other hand, was built between 1894 and 1903. 

Istanbul Grand Post Office

By staying in Grand Sirkeci Hotel, you can get a sense of the rich history embodied in every brick, every corner and every step of the historical peninsula. Grand Sirkeci Hotel is located right across from another historical building of great importance, the Istanbul Grand Post Office. The building was built between 1905 and 1909. This four-story building is still functioning as a post office and being used as the administration office. It is known for being the largest post office building in Turkey.

In addition, Istanbul Postal Museum is located within the post office since 2000. The museum has four sections dedicated to telegraph, post, postage stamps and telephone. The sections are designed to be informative about the history of communication services in the Ottoman Empire as well as Turkey, dating back to 1840.

Sirkeci Railway Station

Sirkeci Railway Station is another landmark in the area. Located next to the Golden Horn, the station was built in 1890. It was built as the eastern terminus of the Orient Express. The world-famous Orient Express used to operate between Paris and Istanbul from the year 1883 to 2009.