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Çırağan Palace (Çırağan Sarayı) is a former Ottoman palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located in the Yıldız neighborhood of the Beşiktaş district. On the hill just inland is Yıldız Park.
History
The palace was built by Sultan Abdülaziz between 1863 and 1867. The architect was Ottoman Armenian Sarkis Balyan (1835-1899). The outer walls of the main building were made of marble and the inner walls and roof were made of wood. The palace buildings are spread out between the neighborhoods of Beşiktaş and Ortaköy. They’re best seen from the Bosporus.
Çırağan Palace was gutted by a fire on January 19, 1910. In 1930, the Beşiktaş football club cut down trees in the ruins and briefly used it as Şeref Stadium (Şeref Stadyumu).
Hotel
The main building of the palace laid in ruins for several years until a Japanese company purchased it in 1989. They restored it and added a modern hotel next door. It now serves as the Çırağan Palace Kempinski. The palace building serves as the luxury wing of the hotel complex and contains 11 suites.
The Sultan Suite is one of the most expensive hotel suites in the world. It’s 458 square meters (4930 square feet) in area and includes a large hall, living room with dining area for 12, kitchenette, guest bathroom, and two bedrooms. It also offers panoramic views of the Bosporus.
I only visited Çırağan Palace a couple times while I was living in Istanbul. Once was to get drinks by the pool of the modern hotel in August 2011. I also picked up a guest and escorted him to a conference. I only snapped a few photos.
Beşiktaş Anatolian High School
Just west of the hotel is the Beşiktaş Anatolian High School, which is one of the most prestigious schools in Turkey. It was founded in 1937 and moved into the current building for the 1940-41 academic year. The building itself was originally built in 1871 under Sultan Abdülaziz as an addition to Çırağan Palace and was later used as a harem. It was designed by Sarkis Balyan.
Sultan Murad V, who succeeded his uncle Abdülaziz, lived in the building as a prisoner for 28 years, from 1876 until his death in 1904. He was deposed after just 93 days on grounds of insanity. His room is now used as the school’s canteen.
Ziya Kalkavan High School
To the east is the Ziya Kalkavan Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School (Ziya Kalkavan Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi). It’s housed in some annex buildings that once belonged to Çırağan Palace, including the Imperial Kitchen (Matbah-ı Âmire) and Imperial Stables (Istabl-ı Âmire).
The school was founded in 1909 by Captain Hamîd Naci Bey (1854-1937) as the National Trade, Naval, and Engineering School (Milli Ticareti Bahriye ve Çarkçı Mektebi Alisi). It was originally located in Azapkapı, then transferred to Üsküdar and finally its current location in 1927. The government took over in 1928, and in 1985 it became a four-year maritime high school. It was renamed in 1993 for Ziya Kalkavan (1911-1992), a Turkish business leader in the maritime sector. The school is regarded as the foremost maritime school in Turkey.
