Ahmet Rasim Paşa Yalısı

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Like the Newport "cottages" of the American elite in the late 19th century, yalıs in their time functioned as extravagant retreats where the owners and their families escaped the sweltering bustle of the city. Today, however, Istanbul's remaining yalıs are glimpses into Ottoman high culture across more than two centuries, and the social standing of their owners gave these homes important roles in society, politics and architecture.

It was in the latter half of the 17th century, when the Empire stretched from Makkah to Budapest and from Tunis to Tabriz, that it became fashionable for Ottoman viziers, admirals and civil and military pashas to build prestigious summer homes along the Bosporus, the strait that separates Europe and Asia. These homes were called yalıs, a word deriving from the Greek yialos, or seashore.

We combine a more personal scale with all the amenities and services of a full-sized luxury resort.

Bigger is sometimes better, but that is not usually the case with luxury hotels and resorts. Beyond a certain size they often lose their intimacy, their hands-on service touch and the magical feeling that they know and care about guests as individuals.