Ibrahim Pasha Hotel

Overview

The Ibrahim Pasha Hotel is a boutique hotel on Terzihane Street in Sultanahmet, in the old city. Its official name is Hotel Ibrahim Pasha. It stands on a side street directly across from the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque). Still, its name belongs to an older building nearby.

That building is the 16th-century palace of a grand vizier, and today it houses the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum. So keep the two apart, because the hotel is a separate building. It dates from the turn of the 20th century.

The Ibrahim Pasha Hotel Building and Its History

Two Ottoman homes on Terzihane Street

The hotel joins two Ottoman homes built at the turn of the 20th century. The result is a four-story building with an elevator.

The Ibrahim Pasha Hotel and its neighboring palace

The hotel takes its name from the neighboring 16th-century palace. Makbul İbrâhim Paşa, grand vizier of Süleyman the Magnificent, built the palace in the early 16th century. A document of 1521 shows that the palace grew out of an existing mansion, with major changes and additions. Its main front faced the Atmeydanı, the square of the Hippodrome.

After his execution in 1536, the state confiscated the palace. Later, grand viziers and other officials lived in parts of it. Fires in 1652 and 1741 damaged it, and no one fully repaired it again. Part of it then served as a prison until 1939. Today the building is the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum, after a restoration led by the architect Hüsrev Tayla.

Where the Ibrahim Pasha Hotel Sits

On the walk back to the hotel, you pass the Hippodrome of Constantinople and the museum. The Hippodrome was a Byzantine square laid out for chariot races. Later, the Ottomans called it Atmeydanı, the square in front of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. That mosque is the Blue Mosque, which Sedefkâr Mehmed Ağa designed for Ahmed I. It opened in 1616, while work on its complex went on until 1620.

Around the Hippodrome and Sultanahmet

From the hotel, Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace and the Grand Bazaar are a few minutes' walk away. When you take the tram, Sultanahmet is a stop on the T1 line, between Gülhane and Çemberlitaş. The Hippodrome of Constantine counts among the masterpieces of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Who It Suits

We suggest it to history lovers and first-time visitors to Istanbul. When you travel alone or for a short stay, the Standard rooms suit you. Deluxe rooms give more space, and the hotel offers family-friendly rooms as well.

Staying at the Ibrahim Pasha Hotel

The rooftop terrace and the library lounge

Its rooftop terrace has a bar and views of the Blue Mosque and the Sea of Marmara. Downstairs, the lobby has two fireplaces and a library of books on Istanbul. Guests take breakfast there before heading out. The hotel is non-smoking, although guests may smoke on the terrace and on some balconies.

We book your room at Hotel Ibrahim Pasha, a short walk from the old city. For other areas to stay in, read our guide to Where to Stay in Istanbul: The Best Neighborhoods Compared.

Updated: October 25, 2026.

Seeing Istanbul with Us

From this street, the Hippodrome, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia are all on foot, so you need no car. Would you like to see them with a guide? Hagia Sophia is a few minutes on foot from the hotel, so our Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque tour or one-day Istanbul tour starts at its door; send us your nights. We can also arrange a guide in Istanbul for your own days. Traveling with children? See our Turkey with kids tour.