OLD KAVALA IMARET
Superb hospice built in 1821 by the Viceroy of Egypt, a native of Kavala, and converted into a luxury hotel. Guided tour with charge.
This former Islamic hospice (Ιμαρέτ της Καβάλας/Imaret tis Kavalas) was built between 1817 and 1821 thanks to a donation from Mehemet Ali of Kavala, then viceroy of Egypt. Since 2004, this Egyptian state-owned building has housed a very expensive 18-room luxury hotel with wellness center and restaurant, but forbidden to children under 15. At the Méhémet-Ali Museum, the MOHA cultural center offers a 45-minute guided tour of the courtyards, domes, gardens and interior of this beautiful complex.
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Members' reviews on OLD KAVALA IMARET
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
Kavalalı Mehmet Ali Pasha, who was born into a Muslim Ottoman family, was a notable soldier in the region. He was one of the 300 soldiers sent by the Ottoman Empire from Kavala against the French occupying Egypt. He was promoted with his successes here and later became the Egyptian Governor of the Ottoman Empire with his political maneuvers. With his work, he is considered the founder of modern Egypt.
Contrary to what many visitors think, the Imaret building in Kavala has nothing to do with Turkey and even Mehmet Ali Pasha rebelled and fought against the Ottoman Empire. This Imaret, which he founded in the early 19th century, is today owned by the Egyptian Foundation. It is operated as a hotel by a private person hired by the foundation, and visitors are offered sightseeing tours. In this magnificent building with domed ceilings from the 19th century, it is possible to understand how a foundation functioned at that time. The calmness and peace seen especially in religious buildings during that period are still felt today.
The visit is paid and reservations are required in advance. During your visit time, they let you in and take you around with a guide. We went 10 minutes before the tour started, but at this point they did not let us in until our visiting time. Being left standing outside was not a pleasant situation at all. Our tour guide was very polite, but unfortunately he did not have enough information. It was obvious that he was telling what he said from memory. He could not give enlightening answers to simple questions asked by a few people.
In short, I must say that Imaret is an important place to visit in Kavala for terms of architecture and culture. However, I would recommend that you do not expect anything in terms of tour guidance.
I have been planning to visit Imaret for about 15 years and somehow didn’t make it until the time of my 50th birthday. Well, the waiting was worth it ;)
The place takes you back over 200 years ago in a stunning masterpiece of Islamic architecture, character and history. The whole setting is very stylish and somehow cosy and relaxed.
The Dome room was extremely comfortable and elegant. Perfect size, very comfortable bed with fine bed linen, chic furnitures and details that make your stay special such as calming background music in the room, very cosy lightning, beautiful fresh flowers and lovable good night ritual.
Dining in Imaret is also superb – they offer 4 course daily set menu that is very well prepared. Service is also top and the overall ambiance in the restaurant is lovely and romantic.
The Imaret team knows how to treat their guests right and I felt very welcome and comfortable. Thank you for making my stay there very special!
Yes, there are few resident cats in the hotel and also I fearless little dog but for me all this just adds more color to the ambiance.
Parking is not available in front of the hotel but knowing that it’s the old part of town you do expect limited parking.
I highly recommend Imaret hotel to visitors looking for something authentic and special!
Το ίδιο εντυπωσιακό ήταν και το ίδιο το κτίριο του ξενοδοχείου, με μια πανέμορφη αρχιτεκτονική που συνδυάζει την παράδοση με τη σύγχρονη άνεση. Τέλος, το φαγητό ήταν απλά τέλειο, με γεύσεις που ξεπερνούσαν κάθε προσδοκία μας.
Συνολικά, συνιστούμε ανεπιφύλακτα το ξενοδοχείο Ιμαρέτ σε όσους αναζητούν μια αξέχαστη διαμονή σε έναν ειδυλλιακό προορισμό!