Basileus Hotel is a newly-opened hotel in the Sultanahmet section of the Old City of Constantinople, which was renamed Istanbul in 1923 when the Ottoman Empire came to an end with the establishment of the modern state of Turkey. As the capital of three successive empires, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman, Istanbul has long occupied a central role in the histories and cultures of the Greeks, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans, in succession and is today one of the largest, most vibrant and undeniably cosmopolitan cities in the world. The Basileus's location in the Sultanahmet section provides ease of access on foot to a host of Istanbul's most important and historic tourist attractions, among them being Justinian's 6th century C.E. masterpiece the Haghia Sophia (Ayasofya Camii), the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii), the Grand Bazaar, Topkapi Palace, the Hippodrome, the Basilica Cistern*