Sultanahmet Jail
The Sultan Ahmed prison (in Turkish Sultanahmet cezaevi; Ottoman در سعادت جنایت توقیفخانه سی, IA The -i Sa ʿ Adet cinayet Tevḳīfḫānesi ) is a former prison in Istanbul's Eminönü district.
The prison was closed down on 25 January 1969, the building now houses the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet.
Prison
The building was built around 1920 in the Turkish neo-classical style. As an architect, the pioneer of the "First National Architecture " Mimar Mehmet Vedat Tek Kemaleddin or are called according to sources, which were strongly influenced by the nationalist ideology Ziya Gökalps.
The prison was the provision on the internal management of correctional and detention centers from 1880 ( Tevkifhane ve hapishane idare -i Dahiliyelerine Dair Nizamname ) and had a capacity for about 1,000 inmates in the frame. Women and young people were imprisoned here. The inscription above the present main entrance is the name " prison for serious crimes Istanbul 1337 " ( Dersaadet cinayet Tevkifhânesi 1337) to read in Arabic script.
Known occupants
- Mehmet Ali Aybar
- Deniz Gezmiş, from July 30 to September 21, 1968
- Nazim Hikmet, 1938/39, and briefly in 1950
- Rifat Ilgaz
- Orhan Kemal, March 7, 1966 to April 13, 1966
- Necip Fazıl Kısakürek on December 21, 1943 and March 26, 1959 to March 29, 1959
- Hikmet Kıvılcımlı
- Aziz Nesin, September, 1944 to December 11, 1944
- Kemal Tahir
- Vedat Türkali
The prison in the literature
Since there are often writers, journalists and artists were imprisoned in the Sultan Ahmed prison, it finds its place in Turkish literature and poetry. So Nazim Hikmet began his work people Landscapes ( Memleketimden İnsan Manzaraları ) as detainees in this prison. Kemal Tahir reported in detail in his book Prisoner of the captured city ( Esir Şehrin Mahpusu ) over the prison. Orhan Kemal told in cell 72 ( 72 Koğuş ) about his life in prison. It is known Vedat Türkalis poem about the Sultan Ahmed prison:
Even outside the Turkish literature, the institution is mentioned; for example, in Graham Greene's Orient Express.
Hotel
The building has been neglected for a long time and fell gradually until it was decided in 1992 to use the building for a hotel. The architect Yalçın Özüekren was entrusted with the redevelopment and in September 1996, the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet could begin operation. In the vicinity of the hotel there are historical buildings like the Hagia Sophia, the Sultan Ahmed Mosque and the Topkapi Palace. The hotel has 65 rooms and suites.