Beylerbeyi Palace

Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus was built between 1861 and 1865 for Sultan Abdülaziz on the site of Mahmud II’s burnt wooden palace. It served as a summer residence and a place for receiving foreign guests, including Empress Eugénie of France and German Emperor Wilhelm II. The Bosphorus Convention of 1869 was signed within its walls, and after the fall of the empire Mustafa Kemal Atatürk held business meetings here. The palace opened to the public in 1934. Its Neo-Baroque white-marble exterior, carved columns and openwork railings frame a ceremonial façade bearing the sultan’s golden monograms. Two entrances reflect the separation between official and family life. The three-storey building contains 24 rooms and six halls, with Egyptian reed matting on the floors, Hereke carpets, French Baccarat chandeliers, clocks from different countries and porcelain vases from Europe and Asia. Pavilions and gardens descend from the palace towards the Bosphorus.

A mysterious statue of a puma or large wild cat stands in Beylerbeyi’s inner garden. Legend says it comes alive at night and prowls silently through the grounds hunting small animals, adding a supernatural air to the palace.