HotelChatter

It's not every day you find the opportunity to book a few nights via TripAdvisor for a room in a Byzantine conversion. Naz Wooden House located in the Sultanahmet area of Istanbul is a recently restored, seven-room, three-floor B&B that was originally built around the remains of a the Byzantine Palace.

The repurposed Byzantine parts like the stone interior walls are original, as are the Byzantine arches and columns -- all dating back to the 8th century. And the history isn't untouchable. The Roman archway in between the check-in desk and the winding stairs to reach the rooms located above often has luggage lined up against it.

Naz is located in a traditionally Turkish gypsy residential neighborhood, and walking distance from Topkapi Palace, Aya Sofia, the Blue Mosque, the Hippodrome, the underground Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. The area is part of the Ahyrkapy district of the Sultanahmet. (It reminded us of neighborhoods in Sarajevo, Bosnia.)

These aren't the negatively stereotyped gypsies of European train stations, but part of the fabric of Turkish music and culture. They're also responsible for converting a lot of the once beautifully constructed and now dilapidated buildings in the area and turning them into charming B&Bs. Staying in Naz Wooden House feels like you're staying in an authentically Turkish home.

The rooms are small, clean, functional and cozy. Nothing five-star spectacular, but that's not what a Naz guest would be looking for. Instead expect the Byzantine and Ottoman decor your Turkish grandmother might sport if you indeed had a Turkish grandmother. Going with Istanbul's theme of mixing ancient with contemporary, each wooden house room has a rustic feel with wooden furniture and Turkish tzotchkes along with a flat screen TV and cable, air conditioning, central heating, a mini bar and a 1980s hairdryer. The bathrooms are modern and were thankfully Turkish toilet free!!

We booked last minute and had no problem getting one of the cave-like rooms. When Naz is fully booked guests are typically sent to their sister hotels: Deniz Konak and Sultan's Inn. Using TripAdvisor, we got an email back from the Naz office manager in just a few hours, and incredibly didn't have to save the reservation with a credit card online. While the B&B says it has free WiFi, the connection didn't work when we were there. Interestingly, the not working password (BACKPACKERS) for the connection is the name of a competitor: Backpackers Hostel.

Breakfast is free and served on the quaint terrace of the top floor. One one side the terrace overlooks the Sea of Marmara and the Princes Islands, on the other is the Blue Mosque.

Naz is ideal for people who love wandering in and out of small family-owned shops littered along cobble stoned streets. It's for the traveler who wants to try to immerse him or herself in local culture, and don't mind that it isn't so easy to grasp direction wise after a night of too many kebabs and raki shots. (Even our cab driver seemed to not be so sure where it was initially, stopping to ask for directions, or perhaps just enjoying running the meter for a few extra Turkish Liras.)

Still, it's not a bad place at all to get lost wandering around in. A good landmark to rely on is the Big Orange Hotel on the same block. The giant orange on the sign is your clue.

Bottom Line
The room we stayed in was 45 Euros which was about 58 bucks that day. If you pay in cash, you get a 5 percent discount.