Yıldız

Yıldız Palace Complex and Yıldız Park

The palace complex consisting of an Ottoman palace and a picturesque park with a spectacular view of the Bosphorus is one of the best spots in Istanbul. It was the fourth and the last palace complex of the Ottoman Empire after Mehmed II’s Old (first) Palace, the Topkapi Palace and the Dolmabahçe Palace. It consists…
Read more

History of the Yıldız Palace

The history of the well-protected vast imperial complex, housing imperial Ottoman pavilions and structures in a magnificent natural park with walled sections, goes back to the 16thcentury. In earlier Ottoman periods, even from the time of Süleyman, the Magnificent (1520-1566), the large area between Beşiktaş, Ortaköy and Balmumcu was an uninhabited woodland, named Kazancıoğlu Bahçesi.…
Read more

Great Mâbeyn Pavilion

Built by Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876) in 1866, the Great Mâbeyn Pavilion became the main structure of birun (administrative) section of the palace complex. This magnificent building, designed by Agop and Sarkis Balyan, included a combination of Baroque, Art Nouveau and Neo Classic styles. It is located in the first court and is close to the…
Read more

Çit Pavilion, Yaveran Apartments and Set Pavilion

Three of the buildings in the first court at the main entrance, Çit Pavilion, Yaveran Apartments and Set Pavilion were rented to the IRCICA (Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture) in early 1980s in exchange for the buildings’ restoration. Çit Pavilion (Çit Kasrı), built by Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-1876), was used as a reception…
Read more

Yıldız Palace Museum

Located in the first court, the Marangozhane(carpentry workshop) of Sultan Abdülhamid II is now converted into a museum for visitors. The Sultan, who was a skilled carpenter himself, made his own furniture. Those handcrafted items are displayed in the museum. Also exhibited are his personal objects, gifts and some ceramics produced in Yıldız Porcelain Factory.…
Read more

Small Mâbeyn Pavilion

The reception hall of the pavilion witnessed the saddest moment of Sultan Abdulhamid II(1876-1909), who created the Yıldız Palace complex during his 33-year reign of the Empire. He received a letter from a parliamentary committee on April 29, 1909 to leave the throne, and he was exiled to Thessaloniki the same day. Located in the…
Read more

Hünkâr Pavilion

Located in the second court, Hünkâr Pavilion (also called “Valide Sultan Köşkü” or “Hünkar Sofrası”) is the first building where Abdulhamid II stayed when he moved to Yıldız Palace on April 7 1877. It is also one of the oldest pavilions in the complex. Sultan lived here until 1901 when the Small Mâbeyn Pavilion was…
Read more

Yıldız Palace Theater

The private theater of Sultan Abdülhamid II was designed by Raimondo D'Aronco, and built by Sarkis Balyan in 1889. The imperial theater, the only royal theater that remains intact, was completed before the visiting German Emperor Wilhelm II and his wife arrived in October 1889. This theater maintains the honor of showing the first moving…
Read more

Performing Arts Museum

Housed in the Gedikli Concubines Building next to the palace theater, the museum displays valuable documents related to performing arts. Personal objects of famous artists are also exhibited. It is located in the 2nd Court.
Read more

Observation Pavilion

Located in the private second court, also called the Inner Garden, the 19th century Observation Pavilion was used by Abdülhamid II to watch the spectacular view of Istanbul. The pavilion, located on the edge of the garden next to the wall, has a panoramic view, especially from the attic. The two-story Victorian style pavilion has…
Read more