A Magnificent Witness to History: Pera Palace Hotel
Pera Palace Hotel, which has hosted many famous names throughout its 130-year history, is one of the most important and special structures in İstanbul. Known as the first hotel in Türkiye to European standards, Pera Palace Hotel also attracted great attention in its time with having the first elevator in Türkiye and the second in Europe. Designed in the neoclassical style by architect Alexandre Vallaury, the hotel continues to welcome its visitors from all over the world with its magnificent scenery and mystical atmosphere. Built in 1895 to serve the passengers of the Orient Express train that runs from Paris to İstanbul, the hotel has also been the subject of many books with its fascinating history. We have compiled the books that are inspired by Pera Palace Hotel just for you.
Books About Pera Palace Hotel, the Pearl of İstanbul
Pera Palace Hotel is an important historical structure that has inspired both Turkish and foreign authors from Agatha Christie to Charles King. We can detail some of the books about Pera Palace Hotel as follows:
Murder on the Orient Express, Agatha Christie
This novel, known to have been written by the famous detective novelist Agatha Christie in room 411 where she stayed at Pera Palace Hotel, begins in İstanbul. The novel is about a mysterious murder committed on the Orient Express train and the famous detective Hercule Poirot’s experiences while solving this murder. One of the most important sources of inspiration for this work, which was released as a movie in 1974 and 2017, is the Pera Palace Hotel.
Sırlar Oteli, Delal Arya
Pera Palace Hotel, which is also the subject of children’s books, also inspired the book Sırlar Oteli written by Delal Arya. It tells the adventures of twin brothers who arrive at the Pera Palace Hotel after a mysterious train journey and who find a mysterious key in the room of one of the hotel’s former guests, the famous author Agatha Christie.
Sırlar Oteli invites children to a fantastic adventure that is intertwined with history. Published by Can Çocuk, the book reopens the doors of the world that Pera Palace Hotel witnessed in both distant and recent history in a way that appeals to children.
Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul, Charles King
In his novel Midnight at the Pera Palace – The Birth of Modern Istanbul, famous author Charles King deals with the modernization process of İstanbul, once the capital of the Ottoman Empire and the social and political events that the Pera Palace Hotel had witnessed during this change. The author includes famous names such as Agatha Christie, Ernest Hemingway and Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who have previously stayed at the hotel, thus enriching the plot of his novel and presenting it to his readers.
The Fascinating Structure is Also Subject to TV Shows: Pera Palace Hotel
Pera Palace Hotel, one of the most special symbols of İstanbul, has inspired many famous novels and also managed to attract the attention of producers and screenwriters. Midnight at the Pera Palace, a gripping adventure series that was released on the platform Netflix in 2022, takes the audience on a journey to the historical atmosphere and fascinating past of Pera Palace Hotel. Adapted from Charles King’s novel Midnight at the Pera Palace – The Birth of Modern Istanbul, the show also offers the audience the opportunity to meet the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and detective novelist Agatha Christie, who are among the most special guests of the hotel.
The show begins with the arrival of young journalist Esra, who is assigned to write an article for the 130th anniversary of Pera Palace Hotel. Esra suddenly travels back in time to room 411, where Agatha Christie, whom she admires, stays at the Pera Palace Hotel and writes her novel Murder on the Orient Express. She suddenly finds herself in 1919, in other words, in the last years of the Ottoman Empire. However, the real adventure begins when she prepares herself to prevent an assassination plot against Mustafa Kemal Atatürk during the difficult days of the War of Independence.
In the series, which features famous actors such as Hazal Kaya, Selahattin Paşalı, Tansu Biçer, Hakan Dinçkol and Engin Hepileri, room 101, where Atatürk stayed and made important decisions for the history of the Republic and which has been transformed into a museum room today, is also reflected quite dramatically.
Midnight at the Pera Palace helps to convey the diplomatic tensions of the period to the audience flawlessly. This show, which tells the story of both the past and modern times, also allows the audience to discover the complex atmosphere of İstanbul under occupation.
The adventure-filled show on Netflix, Midnight at the Pera Palace tells not only a time travel story fascinatingly but also the place of Pera Palace Hotel in the political and cultural life of İstanbul. The show Midnight at the Pera Palace, which you can watch on Netflix can be a great opportunity for those who would like to discover the historical richness of İstanbul and feel the charming atmosphere of the hotel.
