🏰 General Information
📍 Location: Üsküdar district, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, Istanbul.
🏗️ Construction Date: Built between 1861 – 1865 by Sultan Abdülaziz.
👷 Architects: Sarkis Balyan and Agop Balyan.
🌟 Feature: Served as the Ottoman Empire’s summer residence. It is a rare blend of Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical architecture combined with traditional Turkish house design.
📜 History
🏛️ The site hosted various structures since the Byzantine era.
🔥 An earlier wooden palace built during Sultan Mahmud I’s reign was destroyed by fire.
🏰 Sultan Abdülaziz commissioned the present-day magnificent Beylerbeyi Palace.
🤝 Used to host foreign dignitaries such as the Shah of Iran, Empress Eugénie of France, and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary.
👑 Sultan Abdülhamid II spent his final years here after his dethronement and died in the palace in 1918.
🎨 Architecture & Interior
🏛️ Style: Fusion of European architectural styles with Turkish house tradition.
🏠 Structure: Three floors (basement, ground, upper).
🚪 Rooms: 26 rooms and 6 halls.
✨ Decoration: Marble ornaments, crystal chandeliers, Hereke carpets, and Chinese porcelains.
🌳 Gardens: Terraced gardens with pools and a quay opening directly to the Bosphorus.
🌍 Cultural Importance
🌉 One of the most important palaces along the Bosphorus.
🕰️ Reflects the Westernization period of the Ottoman Empire.
🎭 A cultural landmark admired for its lavish decoration and breathtaking sea view.
🕒 Visitor Information (2025)
⏰ Opening Hours: 09:00 – 17:00
🚫 Closed On: Monday
🎟️ Entrance Fees:
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Adults: 200 TL
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Students / Discounted: 100 TL
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Children under 6: Free
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🌟 Significance
Beylerbeyi Palace combines the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire with the unmatched beauty of the Bosphorus. More than a summer palace, it also functioned as a diplomatic guesthouse, making it one of Istanbul’s most valuable cultural and historical landmarks.
