Beylerbeyi Palace

Beylerbeyi Palace Location

Beylerbeyi Palace is on the Asian Side of Istanbul, between Kuzguncuk and Cengelkoy. It is in the Beylerbeyi district and on the borders of the Üsküdar district, this historical palace is about 3.5 km from the Uskudar pier.

History of Beylerbeyi Palace

Beylerbeyi Palace, built at the request of Sultan Abdülaziz, was considered as a summer resort for the sultans, state guesthouse, and for hosting foreign heads of state or kings.

The construction of the palace started on August 6th, 1863, and opened with a ceremony on April 21st, 1865. The construction organization of the palace was carried out by Sarkis Balyan, one of the famous architects of the era, which built many important buildings in Istanbul.

Due to the curiosity and passion of Sultan Abdülaziz, who built the palace, there are sea and ship themes engraved in some frames and cartridges on the ceiling of the palace. Sultan Abdülaziz even drew patterns with sea and ship themes to give painters an idea.

Details such as the marble craft, historical objects, texture, location, and the unique view of the Bosphorus bring this place to the top of the places to visit in Istanbul.

The annexes of Beylerbeyi Palace, which hosted distinguished guests such as French Empress Eugénie, Austro-Hungarian Emperor Joseph, Prussian Crown Prince Frédéric Guillaume Nicola Charles, are remarkable.

Beylerbeyi Palace continued to be an essential building during the Republican period, and guests from abroad stayed here. For example, the Iranian Shah Pahlavi came to Turkey in 1934, and he was a guest of the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in this palace.

Also, the Balkan Games Festival held in 1936 was in Beylerbeyi Palace, and Mustafa Kemal Ataturk spent that night in this palace.

The Architecture of the Palace

Beylerbeyi Palace is a 2-story building with a courtyard on a high basement. The palace sits on a rectangular floor area that is approximately 2,500 square meters. The southern part of the palace was Mabeyn-i Humayun (secretariat) and the northern part of the Valide Sultan Apartment (Queen mother’s apartment).

The palace, built by blending Western and Eastern styles, has a total of 6 halls, 24 rooms, one bath, and one bathroom. The palace has features of the old Turkish house plan with its harem and official sections.

The palace has a plan composition based on the central hall motif around the iwan, and the scheme in the palace consists of 3 parts. These sections are; Mabeyn-i Humayun (offices) is the Bed Room (Sultan’s private chambers), and the Valide Sultan Room (Queen mother’s room).

The main Harem section belonging to the women, which came right after the Valide Sultan Apartment and built parallel to the sea, was built separately from the main building, but this structure has not survived to the present day. The entrance facade of Mabeyn-i Hümâyun has an arrangement in which the neo-baroque style is evident. The interior methods of the palace also have a unique approach.