The rhythm of Istanbul’s heart monitor skyline, once rising and falling in smooth successions, is increasingly being disturbed by the impossible vertical stretch of apartment buildings and shopping centers, callous with concrete and modernity. We closed the window and white curtains upon this spectacle, in a room at Adahan  Istanbul, breathing the scent of handmade woodwork, olive oil soap, and a white demeanor dressed in the glow of the afternoon sun.

The boutique hotel in the middle of Şişhane is not your usual temporary abode and it is made clear from the moment you enter the building, erected in 1874. A historical feel is still alive in the details allowed to linger among the fresh renovations of the hotel’s interior. The past renders itself evident in the form of an original gray marble sink, budding pink roses in the remnants of frescoes, the blur of age in old wooden doors used as headboards, or  the geometric black and white motifs of a marble floor with a crack running through it like a dried vein.

What the present has added, and with minute purpose, is a natural element. Every detail of Adahan exhibits harmony in relationship, from the natural fiber curtains and towels to the handmade wooden furniture and lamps present in all forty individually designed rooms. The top floor, with the elevator doors opening to reveal a blinding ray of light, is home to a restaurant that serves daily breakfast and a light afternoon and dinner menu. The terrace, where large potted plants sway in the wind, has a view of the Golden Horn present in its entirety. Along with modern amenities, the hotel also offers two meeting rooms and one dining room that can be reserved upon request.

If there is anything you need to remember about Adahan, before you make your reservation, it is a peaceful simplicity and minimalism contained in an almost healing silence, offered in the middle of a city where such qualities are becoming increasingly rare.

Asmalı Mescit Mahallesi General Yazgan Sokak No.14, Şişhane; P: (0212) 243 85 81