Tevkifhane Sokak, Sultanahmet

Sultanahmet‘s Tevkifhane Sokak is dominated by the deluxe Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul, which takes up the entire northeastern side of the street.

A tevkifhane (tehv-KEEF-hah-neh) is a “house of detention,” and indeed what is now the Four Seasons was in Ottoman times a prison. In fact, it served this function well into the time of the Turkish Republic, until the 1990s.

Tevkifhane Sokak has been fixed up nicely because of the posh hotel, but it also gets some (slow) traffic (Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus) bringing guests to the hotel’s main entrance.

With all those well-heeled tourists in the hotel, carpet shops abound just outside, but there are other shops as well.

If you’re staying at the Four Seasons, you won’t be bothered by traffic noise from Tevkifhane Sokak, believe me (see map below).

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul