Sultanahmet Jail (), a former

prison A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...

Istanbul Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, is now the luxury Four Seasons Hotel at Sultanahmet. It is located in Sultanahmet neighborhood of

Fatih Fatih () is a municipality and district of Istanbul Province, Turkey. Its area is 15 km2, and its population is 368,227 (2022). It is home to almost all of the provincial authorities (including the mayor's office, police headquarters, metro ...

district on the historical peninsula. Four Seasons Sultanahmet interior March 2008

History

Built in 1918/1919, it was the first jailhouse in the capital of the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, constructed in a contemporary concept considering the regulation of the daily life and relationship with the outside of inmates, who were awaiting trial or serving brief sentences. The building was designed in Turkish neoclassical style in the beginning of the period called "First National Architecture". It was built next to the

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a structure which houses judicial functions for a governmental entity such as a state, region, province, county, prefecture, regency, or similar governmental unit. A courthouse is home to one or more courtrooms, ...

building, which was constructed in 1845 initially as university (). An inscription in Ottoman language upon the main gate of the building states the name of the facility as the "Dersaadet Murder Jail" (). It is a four-story building with guard towers enclosing a courtyard. In the jailhouse, juveniles and women were also detained. Following the establishment of the Sağmalcılar prison, the inmates were transferred to the new site and the jail was abandoned on January 25, 1969. Later during the military rule, the building continued to be used as a military jailhouse.

Notable inmates

Sultanahmet Jail served mostly as a prison reserved for writers, journalists, artists as intellectual

dissident A dissident is a person who actively challenges an established political or religious system, doctrine, belief, policy, or institution. In a religious context, the word has been used since the 18th century, and in the political sense since the 2 ...

s sentenced. * Billy Hayes (1947–) writer, actor and film director. Billy Hayes spent one night in Sultanahmet Jail after being arrested in 1970 and he was sent to Sağmalcılar prison afterwards. *

Mihri Belli Mihri Belli (December 1915 – 16 August 2011) was a prominent leader of the socialist movement in Turkey. He fought for the communist side in the Greek Civil War. Belli was repeatedly prosecuted and sentenced to prison for his political views, ...

(1916–2011) communist leader * Deniz Gezmiş (1947–1972) militant *

Nazım Hikmet A nazim is the coordinator of a city or town in Pakistan. Nazim or variant spellings may also refer to: * Nazim (given name), including a list of people with the given name ** Nirmala Devi, born Nazim, Indian actress and singer * Nazim (surname), ...

(1901–1963) poet, in 1938/1939 and later in 1950 again * Rıfat Ilgaz (1911–1993) lecturer and writer * Orhan Kemal (1914–1970) novelist * Hikmet Kıvılcımlı (1902–1971) communist leader *

Aziz Nesin Aziz Nesin (; born Mehmet Nusret, 20 December 1915, Istanbul, Ottoman Empire – 6 July 1995, Izmir , Turkey) was a Turkish writer, humorist and the author of more than 100 books. Born in a time when Turks did not have official surnames, ...

(1915–1995) humorist * Kemal Tahir (1910–1973) novelist * Vedat Türkali (1919–2016) screenwriter

Conversion into hotel

In 1992, after a long period of neglect, a redevelopment project was considered to convert the building into a hotel. The jailhouse, having great significance in terms of history of art and architecture, was to undergo a meticulous renovation and open as a deluxe hotel under Regent Hotels & Resorts as The Regent Istanbul. Following the acquisition of Regent by Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in 1992, the project was rebranded and opened in 1996 as Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. The hotel does not feature any pool or spa facilities. Instead, guests may book a complimentary shuttle service to use the pool and spa facilities at Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, the chain's sister property in the city, which opened in 2008. The property closed in 2020 to undergo a comprehensive renovation, and reopened on December 1, 2021.

In literature

The jailhouse was mentioned in

Graham Greene Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquired a re ...

's 1932 thriller novel '' Stamboul Train''. The site is featured in the poem " For Nazim Hikmet in the Old Prison, Now a Four Seasons Hotel" by the American poet Myra Shapiro.

References

External links