The second largest palace in Istanbul, Yildiz Palace, was formed in the nineteenth century during the government of Sultan Abdülhamid II (who lived from 1876 to 1909).
The palace owes its name to the mansion that Sultan Mahmud II had built in this wood. This mansion was decorated by his son Abdülmecid and hosted his cerubine named Yıldız. Sultan Abdülmecid’s mother, Bezmialem Sultan, had a mansion built in 1842 called Dilkuşa Summer Palace (Kasr-I Dilkuşa) and thus contributed to the expansion of Yıldız Palace.
During the period of Sultan Abdülaziz, the mansions of Malta, Çadır and Çit were put into use. However, the palace was mainly developed during the period of Sultan Abdülhamid. The palace, which was permanently used by Sultan Abdülhamid, improved physically on the one hand, and became the scene of the most politically contested period of the Empire on the other.
Yildiz Palace now covers an area of 500,000 square meters in the Besiktas district, offering some of the few remaining green spaces in the city. Its name means Palace of Stars, and the complex currently features:
- The State Apartments (Büyük Mabeyn)
- The Sale Pavilion
- Malta Pavilion
- Çadir Pavilion
- Yildiz Theater and Opera House
- Yildiz Palace Museum
- Imperial Porcelain Factory
- Yildiz Palace Gardens
- A bridge connecting Yildiz Palace to Çiragan Palace.
All the buildings of Yıldız Palace are arranged in rows, gathering at the northern end of the woods lined with high walls. The rest of the woods is an outdoor garden. In this garden, which is open to the public as Yıldız Park, are the mansions of Çadır and Malta, as well as the Yıldız porcelain factory.
Visiting information:
It is open from October to February: every day from 9:30 am to 4 pm.
From March to September, it is open: daily from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
Closed all year round: Mondays and Thursdays
The palace is located between Ortakoy, Balmumcu and Besiktas, overlooking the Bosphorus.
Entrance fee: 5 TL (0.2 €)
Yıldız 80700 Beşiktaş – Istanbul
https://goo.gl/maps/PnZZE3EDyyeLGuK66
