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Yıldız Palace (Yıldız Sarayı) is a large Ottoman palace complex in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located in Yıldız neighborhood of the district of Beşiktaş.
History
Yıldız Palace is situated in a wooded area that had been used as an Ottoman imperial retreat and hunting ground since the reign of Sultan Ahmed I in the early 17th century. Sultans Abdülmecid I and Abdülaziz built mansions on the site in the 19th century, and the palace garden now makes up Yıldız Park.
Sultan Abdülhamid II was terrified of a naval attack on Dolmabahçe Palace, which was the seat of government when he took the throne in 1876. He commissioned Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco (1857-1932) to add new buildings to the complex. They were completed in 1880, and Abdülhamid II spent nearly 33 years there.
Visiting
Yıldız Palace is closed to the public. It’s being used as an office by the President of Turkey. The last reported admission was 20₺ in March 2022, and the chalet is currently closed for restoration (as of March 2024).
Thankfully, I was able to visit Yıldız Palace in 2011, well before it was closed to the public. Most of the photos in this post are from that visit. I’m disappointed the government has occupied the palace, and I look forward to seeing it open to the public once again in the future.
Clock Tower
The first structure I saw on my visit to the palace was the Yıldız Clock Tower (Yıldız Saat Kulesi), which sits outside the Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque (Yıldız Hamidiye Camii). The clock tower was built between 1889 and 1890 by Abdülhamid II.
Yıldız Hamidiye Mosque
The mosque was built between 1884 and 1886 and was the site of an assassination attempt on Abdülhamid II on July 21, 1905. Members of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation set a time bomb on a horse carriage in front of the mosque. The sultan was held up in a conversation and didn’t arrive at the carriage when the bomb was scheduled to explode. 26 people were killed and 58 were wounded.
In response, Abdülhamid II carried out massacres of Armenians, Assyrians, and Greeks living in the Ottoman Empire. This became known as the Hamidian Massacres. Between 200,000 and 400,000 people lost their lives.
First Courtyard
Yıldız Palace was spread out to separate the sultan’s business life from his personal life, much like Topkapi Palace. The first courtyard contained state buildings while the second courtyard consisted of the Sultan’s personal quarters.
The most magnificent building in the complex sits in the first courtyard. The State Apartments (Büyük Mabeyn Köşkü) contained offices for government officials working for Abdülhamid II. It was actually built in 1866 by Ottoman Armenian architects Agop (1838-1875) and Sarkis Balyan (1835-1899) as a resting place for Sultan Abdülaziz. The State Apartments is the most magnificent building in the palace complex.
The Fence Pavilion (Çit Kasrı) is just north of the State Apartments. It was also built during the reign of Abdülaziz. The Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78 and the Greco-Turkish War of 1897 were administered there.
A fountain sits to the right of the Fence Pavilion. It’s attached to the Harem Gate (Harem Kapısı), which led to the Imperial Harem.
The Yaveran Apartment (Yaveran Dairesi) is directly across from the State Apartments. It was built by Raimondo D’Aronco and contained a telegraph house as well as other functional rooms.
Finally, the Armory (Silahhane) was originally built as a refectory for palace servants. It became an armory when the previous armory was turned into the palace library.
Interior Photos
The following photos are all from Yıldız Palace. Unfortunately, I never labeled them and can’t tell you where exactly in the palace I took them. I apologize for the bad quality of some of the photos:
Yıldız Chalet
Yıldız Chalet (Yıldız Şale) is the only section of the palace currently open to visitors. It was built in the 1870s to resemble a Swiss chalet.
A second section was added in 1889 to accommodate Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, who was the first foreign monarch to visit Constantinople. A third section was built in 1898, also for the kaiser.
Highlights of the chalet include a single carpet covering an area of over 400 square meters. It was hand-woven by 60 people. Some of the furniture was actually made by Abdülhamid II, and one room is nearly covered from floor to ceiling in mother-of-pearl.
After the foundation of the Turkish Republic, the palace was used to accommodate foreign dignitaries. Sir Winston Churchill, Nicolae Ceauşescu, and Charles de Gaulle were among the guests to stay there.
The garden of the chalet is also a pleasant place to explore. It contains ponds, bridges, and short walking trails.
