European side · Beşiktaş
Yıldız Palace
The last seat of Ottoman government, on the wooded hill above Beşiktaş.
Photographs of this palace are coming soon.
History
The first pavilion on the hill was built in the reign of Selim III. The palace that grew around it is tied above all to Abdülhamid II, who made “Yıldız Saray-ı Hümayunu” his principal residence and ruled the empire from it for 33 years.
It covered some 500,000 m² in three parts: the palace proper where the state was run, the private quarters of the sultan and his household, and an outer garden with its pavilions. Following the Turkish-Islamic tradition, the palace stood to the east and the Friday mosque, the Hamidiye, to the west.
Inside the walls were a theatre, a museum, a library, a pharmacy, a zoo, workshops and even a tile factory, and the people who served it directly or indirectly are thought to have numbered around 12,000. It was the last administrative centre of the empire and the last residence of a reigning sultan.
What to see
The private quarters
The Harem, the Hasbahçe garden and the Küçük Mabeyn — the part of the palace where the sultan lived. These are the sections the Müzekart does not cover.
Yıldız Park
The former outer garden is now a public park. Of its pavilions, the Çadır, Malta and Şale kiosks survive.
A palace as a town
Workshops, a theatre and a museum within the walls show how far the palace had become a self-contained world by the end of the century.
Before you go
- Yıldız is closed on Wednesdays, not Mondays — the one National Palaces site that is.
- A ticket bought at the gate is valid only on the day it is bought.
- The Müzekart is valid except in the Harem, the Hasbahçe and the Küçük Mabeyn.
- Restoration work has been under way in recent years; check the operator’s page before a special trip.
Questions
Is Yıldız Palace the same as Yıldız Park?
The park was the palace’s outer garden and is open to the public. The palace museum is the walled section beside it and has its own ticket.
Which day is Yıldız Palace closed?
Wednesday.