10 Years MANZARA
10 years ago MANZARA Istanbul started with seven apartments. At that time MANZARA was the only agency renting out apartments to travelers in the district of Galata. Istanbul was booming and the idea of living in architectural designed apartments, in authentic houses next to locals, was highly popular.
The whole story had already started nine years before all that when Erdogan Altindis bought the first apartment (Bosporus) and began to commute between Istanbul and Munich. Soon the word got around that a fantastic view could be discovered there. Years later, rather casually, the idea of founding an agency for renting out holiday apartments emerged. Guests could rent the first apartments under the name of “Above the Roofs of Istanbul”. AirBnb was in distant reality at that time.
Together with the official start of MANZARA Istanbul on the 15th of October 2006 the togetherness of Erdogan and Gabi also started. Consequently, this date has additionally a very special meaning for both. Gabi was totally involved and Istanbul offered a lot of new opportunities. That is how the successful story ran its course, following the saying “Starting like a Turk, finishing like a German”. They complement and support each other just perfectly. They really got started and the demand was so high that at the beginning of the year 2015 MANZARA Istanbul had approximately 50 apartments in its portfolio and the team of MANZARA Istanbul had the pleasure to welcome more than 30.000 guests in the past ten years.
As a German-Turkish architect couple Gabi and Erdogan have passionately pursued their visions from the very beginning:
– Creation of spaces which offer guests the opportunity of perceiving their senses in new ways and strengthening the needs and awareness
– Conducting the dialog between cultures which shows how exciting other lifestyles, customs and habits are
Every contact with another way of life let us gain multifaceted, new insights. At the same time we understand where our own roots are. In the end that is how respect, tolerance and self-confidence can increase. In these times it is more important than ever…
Also now in times of crisis they aim to make the other image of Turkey visible: Showing beauty, positiveness and common perspectives. It seems like that most of these things have disappeared from people’s mind in Europe. Both networkers draw from a pool which is immensely diverse and huge. Everyone can certainly be excited and look forward…
