ARCHITECTURAL & HISTORIC PRESERVATION

At the center of Istanbul’s richest historical district, the Armada Hotel has made Ahırkapı (The Stable Gate) its home address since it opened its doors in 1994 with the goal of keeping life and culture that is quintessentially Istanbul alive and well.  Since that day forward, we have continued to serve Istanbul by following our principle "Preserve. Reserve. Serve" with the restitution and reconstruction of the Hayreddin Pasha wooden row houses in this same neighborhood. We are proud to showcase the preservation and restoration of the interior and exterior Armada has completed and brought back to life in this section of our hotel. 

Perhaps Armada’s first and foremost contribution to the preservation of the architectural integrity of Istanbul’s historic centers is its own building!  In the 16th century, the hotel’s present location was home to the wooden row houses constructed by Barbaros Hayreddin Pasha to house his sailors. These historic structures fell victim to Istanbul fires in particular, and decayed steadily over time. Upon transfer to the General Directorate of Foundations, they were torn down at the beginning of the 20th century. The photographs show how the homes appeared just before their demolition.  In the final black and white photo, taken in the 1980’s, the structure’s last remnants can be seen in the spot where the Armada Hotel is located today. Following its complete destruction in the late ‘80s, for some time the location was covered with gravel and used as a parking lot by the then Eminönü Municipality. When Kasım Zoto discovered the situation in the late 1980’s, he made the crucial decision to restitute the site, thus transforming it into a hotel which would open Turkey’s doors to worldwide tourism. 

Under the leadership of Kasım Zoto, Armada’s first projects were completed by Architect Haydar Karabey and Murat Sümen. Permission for the project’s construction was granted in seven years. After obtaining permission, the construction managed by Mehmet Ata Tansuğ was completed within 16 months. The interior design was completed by Gürel Yontan and the Armada Hotel building we know today emerged at 24 Ahırkapı Street.