Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah Istanbul Celebrates 125 Years

Back when the world first knows Istanbul as Constantinople, the Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah is already standing proudly. Now, 125 years later, it still remains an icon of luxury and comfort in Istanbul, thus dubbed as "the oldest European hotel of Turkey".

To celebrate its 125 years in the business, several art exhibitions will be played in the hotel for the whole month of March including "Decadence" and "The Divas of Cinema", which was played last March 8 in a simultaneous celebration of the Women's Month. Aside from that, a pop-up restaurant featuring dishes that take every guest back into hotel's history was held inside one of the hotel's ballrooms, as well as jazz concerts and classical music that were still ongoing.

Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah became world-famous when it was mentioned in Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, as the hotel was first built solely for the passengers aboard the Orient Express back in 1892. Located in the Tepebaşı neighbourhood of Pera, it hosted a number of famous names throughout its years of service, like Alfred Hitchcock, Knut Hamsun, and of course, Agatha Christie.

It was closed in 2006 for major renovations and was opened again in 2010. Still a beacon of Turkish elegance and timeless style, the Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah is still in the running of providing excellent hospitality service to all its guests, and is a living testament of Turkey's rich history.

"Since Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah first opened its doors in 1892, its elegant interior and exterior has drawn visitors to Istanbul from all over the world. Designed by renowned local architect Alexander Vallaury, the iconic building has played host to an impressive list of guests that includes Ernest Hemingway, Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock among others," said the hotel's website.

"Today Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah the hotel maintains the elegant classical style that made it famous, with authentic 19^th-century features serving as a timeless focal point. Additionally, Pera Palace Hotel Jumeirah was designated with "museum-hotel" status in 1981 when, as a tribute to the founder of modern Turkey, Room 101 was converted into the Atatürk Museum."