PERA PALAS HOTEL
There are certain places that have a vested interest in remaining
the same, disdaining unnecessary change in order to preserve the romantic
nature of their past. Pera Palas Hotel in Galata
district of Istanbul is such a place. Its lobbies
and halls cluttered with 19th century furniture, Pera Palas has the wonderful
decaying atmosphere one would expect from an Agatha Christie mystery. Christie
was in fact one of the hotel's most ardent visitors (the "Agatha Christie
Room", number 411, is now preserved in her honor) and it is rumored that
she wrote Murder on the Orient Express here.
This seems likely since the hotel was originally founded in 1892 for the
specific purpose of hosting passengers arriving on the Orient
Express train and no doubt served as inspiration to the Queen of Mysteries.
Another room, number 101, is notable too as it housed Kemal
Atatürk, the "Father of Turkey" while he prepared
for the Turkish War of Independence. "Atatürk's
Suite" is a veritable museum, displaying many of his personal effects as
well as objects of interest like ebony chairs, exotic oriental carpets
and a rare black silk prayer rug -- all gifts
from foreign heads-of-state to the revered Turkish leader.
Pera Palas' Orient Bar and charming dining rooms are considered some
of the most atmospheric in Turkey. One can well
imagine the spies Mata Hari and Kim Philby lounging seductively on a comfy
sofa in the bar or Ernest Hemingway outlining his next novel in the dining
room over Chicken Döner and Bloody Mary's with
his lady of the moment. Many historically notable people have joined the
ranks of these three as guests at the Pera Palas. The facts, we do have
no doubt, only hint at the myriad of intrigues that occurred over the last
century at this still-popular, fascinating hotel. If walls could speak...
The hotel is also very close to
Foreign Consulates such as British, Swedish, Russian, Dutch, Italian etc.
.
