Which Istanbul palace should you visit?
Nine palaces and pavilions, most visitors have time for one or two. How to choose between Topkapı, Dolmabahçe, Yıldız and Beylerbeyi — and when a pavilion is the better answer.
Published
Istanbul has nine imperial palaces and pavilions open to visitors, and they are not interchangeable. They come from different centuries, show different sides of court life and sit in different parts of the city. Here is how to pick.
For the Ottoman Empire at its height: Topkapı
Topkapı was the seat of the sultans for about four hundred years, from its building under Mehmed II until the court moved out in 1856. It is a sequence of courtyards and pavilions rather than one building: the Imperial Council where the empire was governed, the Harem where the dynasty lived, the Treasury and the Chamber of the Holy Relics.
It is in Sultanahmet, beside Hagia Sophia, and closes on Tuesdays. It is not sold on the National Palaces e-ticket system or included in its combined pass.
For the nineteenth-century court: Dolmabahçe
Dolmabahçe is the opposite of Topkapı: one enormous building on the water, finished in 1856 and furnished as it was used, with European chandeliers, crystal and paintings. Six sultans lived here, and it is where Atatürk died in 1938.
It is in Beşiktaş and closes on Mondays. It is sold at the palace, on the National Palaces e-ticket system and through resellers.
If you have seen both: Yıldız or Beylerbeyi
Yıldız, on the hill above Beşiktaş, is where Abdülhamid II governed the empire for 33 years — a palace that became a walled town. Note that it closes on Wednesdays.
Beylerbeyi, on the Asian shore, is a summer palace built in 1863–1865 to receive visiting emperors and empresses. It is smaller and quieter than Dolmabahçe, and the ferry or bus ride across is part of the pleasure.
If you want somewhere quiet
The pavilions — Ihlamur, Küçüksu, Beykoz Mecidiye, Aynalıkavak and Maslak — were built for a day’s rest, a hunt or a guest. None takes more than an hour or so, and several sell a garden-only ticket. They are the places to see palace architecture without the crowds.