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Küçüksu Pavilion (Küçüksu Kasrı) is a small palace in Istanbul, Turkey. It’s located on the Asian side of the Bosporus between Kandilli and Anadolu Hisarı in a place the Ottomans called “The Sweet Waters of Asia”.
The Sweet Waters of Asia
During the Byzantine period, the area now occupied by Küçüksu and Anadolu Hisarı was called Potámion (Ποτάμειον), referring to the two creeks passing through. The Göksu Creek (Göksu Deresi) and Küçüksu Creek (Küçüksu Deresi) were affectionately known to the Ottomans as “The Sweet Waters of Asia”. The 19th century Ottoman elite would gather in the meadow between them to pass the time away. It was a place of great natural beauty.
Nowadays, the natural beauty has been replaced with ugly modern apartment buildings and other structures stretching up into the once green hills. But to this day, any visitor to the area could imagine why this area would be called “The Sweet Waters of Asia” (although the water doesn’t look so sweet anymore).
Küçüksu Pavilion
Next to Küçüksu Creek is the small palace flaunting the wealth of the late Ottoman Empire. It was completed in 1857 for Sultan Abdülmecid I to replace an early 18th century two-story wooden palace completed during the reign of Mahmud I. Even the Sultan wanted to kick back and relax at “The Sweet Waters of Asia”.
Küçüksu Pavilion was used for summer excursions and hunting trips. It was designed by Ottoman Armenian architect Nigoğayos Balyan (1826-1858). French painter and theatre designer Charles Séchan (1803-1874) decorated the interior. It measures roughly 15 x 27 meters and is faced with marble.
Both floors of the building consist of four corner rooms surrounding a central halls. The rooms facing the Bosporus each have two Italian marble fireplaces while the other rooms have one. All rooms feature Bohemian crystal chandeliers and carpets from Hereke. The basement contains the kitchen, larder, and servants’ quarters.
During the reign of Abdülaziz, the exterior façade of the palace was made more elaborate. This can be seen especially on the Bosporus façade.
During the early years of the Turkish Republic, the palace was used as a state guesthouse. It opened to the public as a museum in 1983 and was thoroughly restored in 1994.
Mihrişah Valide Sultan Fountain
The Mihrişah Valide Sultan Fountain (Mihrişah Valide Sultan Çeşmesi), a few steps north of the palace, was erected in 1806. It was built by Selim III in honor of his mother, Mihrişah Sultan (1745-1805) and is the only structure remaining from the original palace. The fountain measures 3.2 x 3.96 meters and was designed in a combination of the Baroque and Empire styles by an unknown architect. It’s topped by a small dome supported by four small towers on each corner. The inscriptions on all four sides were written by Hafif Mehmed Pasha.
Visiting Küçüksu Pavilion
The pavilion has been a museum since 1983. It’s open to visitors daily except Mondays. Admission for foreigners is 250₺ and includes a complimentary audioguide (as of June 2025). Guests are given plastic galoshes to put over their shoes in order to protect the floor. Photos are forbidden inside. Check the official website for more info.
Getting to Küçüksu Pavilion
The easiest way to get to Küçüksu Pavilion is through Üsküdar. Take a ferry to Üsküdar and walk to the Üsküdar Cami Önü stop (in front of the mosque across the street from the ferry terminal). Hop on pretty much any bus with a number 15 until you reach the Küçüksu Kasrı stop. You can also take a dolmuş going to Beykoz and ask the driver to let you out at Küçüksu Pavilion – it’s much faster than the bus.
If you’re on the European side, there’s a ferry service to Küçüksu from Kabataş and Beşiktaş on the Istanbul City Ferry Lines (İstanbul Şehir Hatları), but it isn’t frequent or convenient.
