Blue Sultan Apart: apartments by the Sultan Ahmed Mosque

Blue Sultan Apart is an apartment building on Asmalı Çeşme Sokak in the Fatih district of Istanbul. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha I Mosque are each about 0.2 km away in a straight line, Little Hagia Sophia about 0.3 km, and Hagia Sophia about 0.6 km. Topkapı Palace is about 1.2 km away, Sirkeci railway station about 1.1 km, and Süleymaniye Mosque about 1.5 km.

Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport (SAW) is about 30.6 km away in a straight line. The building runs a paid airport shuttle, which covers the transfer for a fee.

There are three apartment types. The Apartment - Ground Floor and the Apartment with Sea View are both 25 m², each with one double bed and each sleeping up to three; the difference between them is the outlook, with the ground-floor apartment facing the street and the other looking to the sea. For a couple, or a couple with one more person, either of these works, and the choice comes down to whether a sea view matters.

The Two-Bedroom Apartment is twice the size at 50 m², with a queen bed, a twin bed and a sofa bed spread across its two bedrooms, and a street view. With children allowed at the property and family rooms among its offerings, this is the layout for a family or a small group travelling together who want separate sleeping spaces rather than one shared room.

Blue Sultan Apart is an apartment building rather than a conventional hotel, so what it provides is geared to independent stays: the apartments themselves in three configurations, family rooms, and a paid airport shuttle. Parking is paid, and the building also has street parking in the area.

There is no restaurant, pool or spa here; the appeal is the location close to the Sultanahmet landmarks and the self-contained format of the apartments.

Check-in is from 13:00 and check-out until 11:00, which is worth noting for anyone arriving on an early flight or leaving on a late one. Children are allowed. Pets are not allowed, so anyone travelling with an animal will need a different property. Parking is paid rather than included.

For travellers who want to be within a few hundred metres of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Hagia Sophia and the other sights of the area, and who prefer an apartment with their own sleeping and living space over a hotel room, Blue Sultan Apart fits. The two 25 m² apartments suit couples or parties of up to three, with the sea-view option for those who want the outlook; the 50 m² Two-Bedroom Apartment suits families, since children are allowed and the beds are separated across two bedrooms.

It does not suit pet owners, given the no-pets rule, and anyone expecting hotel services such as a pool or a restaurant will not find them here. Drivers should also factor in that parking is paid.