Georges is located at Galata neighbourhood, in the center of a small peninsula named Pera, part of one of Istanbul’s oldest districts, Beyoğlu.
The area owes its name to the majestic Galata Tower. Built by the Genoese colony in 1348 to replace the old Byzantine tower destroyed in the Crusades. the Tower was named Christea Turris (The Tower of Christ) and survives until today as imposing and monumental as ever.
Georges is within 50 m of the Tower, on Serdar-ı Ekrem Caddesi, a street once populated by a very affluent Italian Jewish community in the 1800’s whose members were the wealthiest bankers, property owners, merchants and doctors of the Ottoman Empire with direct access to the Throne.
Our building belonged to Doctor Avram de Castro who was the head of the first European style asylum in Istanbul and the founder of the first modern psychiatric hospital, La Paix, in the Empire, which continues to provide solace to people to this day. The Good Doctor had exquisite taste and Georges certainly aims to maintain the same spirit of sophistication.
After the departure of de Castro family to Paris at the beginning of the 20th century the house was left desolate and in disrepair. It served as a workshop of crystal chandeliers for a long time and was then purchased and restored in 2011 to its former glory, finally named Georges in honour of a much beloved late uncle.
The design in and out of Georges reflects the eclectic, multi-cultured, multi-layered, grand yet down to earth, stately yet welcoming spirit of the City and its very people.
The façade was renovated, loyal to the original structure, under the guidance of Han Tümertekin, a respected member of Turkey’s Guild of Architects. Interiors were painstakingly designed, piece by piece, with every single item carefully brought together creating a delightful, organic, harmonious dream.
Furniture and fittings used at Georges were handcrafted by local artisans and are unique to their surroundings. Georges continues to colloborate with local workshops, masters and their descendants in every addition to its noble, gentle elegance.