In Beşiktaş, behind Çırağan Palace, there is another palace on the hill: Yıldız Palace. Selim III built the palace for his mother Sultan Mihrişah, but it was first used as a pavilion. Later, in the periods of Mahmud III, Sultan Abdülmecid and Sultan Abdülaziz, it was expanded by the addition of pavilions and summer palaces.

In Sultan Abdülhamid’s period, more structures were built and it became known as Yıldız Palace. The palace took its place in history after the Old Palace, Topkapı Palace and Dolmabahçe Palace, as a center from where the Ottoman Empire was governed.

One of Yıldız Palace’s most important structures is the Şale Pavillion. It consists of three main structures in the garden, built at different times but attached to each other.

The architect Sarkis Balyan built the first building, Merasim Villa, in 1880, while the second one was built in 1889 by the architect D’Aranco and the third one was built in 1898. While you are touring at the three-storied pavilion made up of wood and stone, its design and ornaments will fascinate you. In its 60 rooms and four halls you will recognize the traces of Baroque and Islamic influences.

The ceiling of the “Yellow Saloon” was decorated with landscape paintings; the Saloon with mother-of-pearl with its inlaid mother-of-pearl decorations, and the ceremony hall with a huge Hereke carpet and a ceiling decorated with golden gilded panels, all of which adds to the majesty of the structure.

During the period of Sultan Abdülaziz, Malta, Çadır and Çit Mansions were commissioned. But the palace mostly developed during Sultan Abdülhamid period. The palace which was continuously used by Sultan Abdülhamid, was physically improving on one hand, it was becoming a scene to the most politically disputable period of the Empire on the other.

All buildings in Yıldız Palace are arranged in rows, gathering in the north end of the woods bordered by high walls. The rest of the woods is comprised of an exterior garden, in this garden which is open to public with the name of Yıldız Park, there is Çadır and Malta mansions and Yıldız Porcelain Factory.

Yıldız Sarayı can be visited from 09.00 to 16.00. Entrance fee is 10 Try. (Yıldız Palace Museum is closed of Tuesdays.)

Address: Yıldız 80700 Beşiktaş – Istanbul
Ph: +90 212 259 45 70-259 89 77

Istanbul’s Yildiz Palace:

In Beşiktaş, behind Çırağan Palace, there is another palace on the hill: Yıldız Palace. Selim III built the palace for his mother Sultan Mihrişah, but it was first used as a pavilion. Later, in the periods of Mahmud III, Sultan Abdülmecid and Sultan Abdülaziz, it was expanded by the addition of pavilions and summer palaces.

In Sultan Abdülhamid’s period, more structures were built and it became known as Yıldız Palace. The palace took its place in history after the Old Palace, Topkapı Palace and Dolmabahçe Palace, as a center from where the Ottoman Empire was governed.

One of Yıldız Palace’s most important structures is the Şale Pavillion. It consists of three main structures in the garden, built at different times but attached to each other.

The architect Sarkis Balyan built the first building, Merasim Villa, in 1880, while the second one was built in 1889 by the architect D’Aranco and the third one was built in 1898. While you are touring at the three-storied pavilion made up of wood and stone, its design and ornaments will fascinate you. In its 60 rooms and four halls you will recognize the traces of Baroque and Islamic influences.

The ceiling of the “Yellow Saloon” was decorated with landscape paintings; the Saloon with mother-of-pearl with its inlaid mother-of-pearl decorations, and the ceremony hall with a huge Hereke carpet and a ceiling decorated with golden gilded panels, all of which adds to the majesty of the structure.

Yıldız Sarayı can be visited from 09.00 to 16.00. Entrance fee is 10 Try. (Yıldız Palace Museum is closed of Tuesdays.)

Address: Barbaros Bulvarı Yıldız Park, Beşiktaş
Ph: +90 212 259 89 77

Istanbul’s Amazing Yildiz Palace:

When the Ottoman Sultan Selim III had this palace built as a villa for his mother Mihrişah Sultan and named it “Yıldız” (meaning `star`), the district where the villa was located started to be known as  “Yıldız” as well. In the following years the villa was broadened with the addition of several villas and smaller summer palaces during the reigns of Sultan Mahmud III, Sultan Abdülmecid and Sultan Abdülaziz. When it came to the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid, it received the name of Yıldız Palace with the new building additions, and it became the fourth administration center for the Ottoman Empire after the Eski Saray (Old Palace), Topkapı Palace and Dolmabahçe Palace.

One of the most important parts of the Yıldız Palace is the “Şale Villa”. The Villa is composed of three main buildings which were built adjacently and in different times inside a garden. It is known that the first of these three villas were built in 1880 by the architecture Sarkis Balyan, the second one which is known as the “Merasim Villa” in 1889 by the architecture D’Aranco and that the third one was built in 1898. The villas have three floors and made of wood and stone. There a total of 60 rooms and 4 saloons, and it is possible to see lots of details reflecting the influences of Baroque and Islam in the design and the decoration of the palace.

The most appealing parts of the palace are the “Yellow Saloon” whose ceiling is decorated with scenery pictures, the “Saloon with Mother-of-pearl” which draws attention with its inlaid mother-of-pearl decorations, and the “Ceremony Saloon” whose floor is covered with a single Hereke carpet from one wall to another and hose ceiling is decorated with golden gilded panels. The valuable stuff from various European countries, china vases and engraved furniture within the palace are among the typical characteristics of Ottoman Palaces.
You can visit the Yıldız Palace, between 09.30 and 17.00 during summer time, and between 09.30 and 16.00 during winter season.

Address:Barbaros Bulvarı (Boulevard) Yıldız Park, Beşiktaş
Telephone: 0212 259 89 77