12/07/2018
Beylerbeyi Palace
Described by some as a miniature Dolmabahce Palace but without the crowds, the Beylerbeyi Sarayı (Beylerbeyi Palace) was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz to act as an imperial summer residence. With 24 rooms, 6 halls, and a hamam, it would have been quite the summer home, and was also used to entertain visiting dignitaries.
The opulence of the white marble exterior (designed by architects Hagop Balyan and Sarkis Balyan and completed in 1865) is matched by the lavish interior, which features French clocks, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, and porcelain vases.
Amazing facts about the Beylerbeyi Palace
Some of the furniture, such as the dining chairs in the harem and selamlik, were carved by Sultan Abdülhamit II during the six years he was imprisoned here, until he died in 1918.
After her stay in 1869, Empress Eugénie was so impressed with what she saw when she stayed here in 1869, that she had the windows copied in the Tuileries Palace in Paris.
