Yıldız is a large historical palace and park complex of the 19th century, located on the European side of Istanbul, in the Beşiktaş district, near the waters of the Bosphorus Strait, where the restored Ottoman Chiragan Palace (now 5-star Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul).
Today, the former Yildiz Palace and Park ensemble is divided into:
- Yildiz Palace (Yıldız Sarayı / Yildiz saray, which translates as "Star Palace"), which was the former residence of the Ottoman sultans;
- Yıldız Park, which used to be adjacent to the palace and was part of the ensemble of the palace, and today it is one of the largest public historical parks in Istanbul with lush vegetation and historical buildings, which anyone can visit.
Palace Yildiz was first built by Sultan Selim III for his mother Mihrishah Sultan (Gyurju Gyuzeli).
The palace was used as the main palace of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of the last sovereign ruler of the Ottoman Empire - Sultan Abdulhamid II (since 1889), after the Sultan left due to dramatic events and for security reasons Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı), which today is a museum.
During the reign of the sultan, the palace expanded as a palace complex, in which special attention was paid to every detail, and the area of the palace complex eventually reached five hundred thousand square meters, which, in addition to the palace itself, included a park with pavilions of the same name, an imperial porcelain factory and a theater.
In 1909, after the overthrow, Abdulhamid was forced to leave the Yildiz Palace. After that, the palace was looted and partially burned. The Sultan was sent to Thessaloniki and never returned to the Yildiz Palace. After the Sultan returned to Istanbul in 1912, he spent the rest of his life in the Beylerbeyi Sarayı Palace, which today is a museum.
After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Yildiz Palace was used as a casino, and then it was transformed into a guest house for visiting heads of state and members of the royal family, then it became a museum with restored halls, and now the president uses the palace (perhaps someday the palace will be reopened to visitors, we recommend checking the information on official websites).
Based on the history of the Yildiz Palace, it is very significant, since it is the last architectural example of a Turkish Ottoman palace.
Coordinates of Yildiz Palace: 41°03'08.2"N 29°00'45.6"E (41.052278, 29.012667).
Yildiz Palace website: yildiz-sale.
Yildiz Park is one of the largest historical and now public parks in Istanbul.
The park can be visited. Admission is free.
The current Yildiz Park was originally the territory of the forest, then the hunting grounds of the sultans, and then part of the sultan's garden of the Yildiz Palace. The palace park was surrounded by a wall and stretched down from the palace and along the slope of the hill.
Currently, Yildiz Park is a garden complex with a large territory with cafes, gazebos, playgrounds and sports grounds, toilets, places for recreation and walking, and, most importantly, reservoirs, artificial ponds with fountains, bridges, waterfalls, sculptures, flowers and trees collected from many corners of the world since the time of the sultan.
The park is a popular place for picnics and walks, especially on weekends.
Video of Yildiz Park
Historical objects have been preserved (now restored) in Yildiz Park, among which two pavilions stand out in particular:
- Chadir (Çadır Köşkü), which was also used as a prison,
- Maltese Pavilion (Malta Köşkü), which was designed by architect Sarkis Balyan and which now houses a cafe. The origin of the name is not known for sure, but it is known that in the Ottoman era some parts of the palaces were named after conquered places or important battles, therefore, most likely, the name of the pavilion "Maltese" was given after the siege of Malta in 1565 - the siege that the Ottoman Empire lost to the Maltese knights.
On the outskirts of the park there is an active historical porcelain factory Yıldız Çini Ve Porselen Fabrikası, which was opened in 1895 and produced ceramics to meet the needs of the upper class in the European style. The factory produced bowls, vases and plates, which often depicted a view of the Bosphorus. The building had a look reminiscent of medieval castles.
Entrance to the museum-factory is paid. Museum website: yildiz-cini-ve-porselen-fabrikasi.
Coordinates of Yildiz Park: 41°02'54.0"N 29°00'56.0"E (41.048333, 29.015556).
Yildiz Park Schematic map
The Chiragan Palace or Chiragan (Çırağan Sarayı) is a former palace located below Yildiz Park, near the waters of the Bosphorus. Once there was a functioning bridge that connected the Yildiz Palace with the Chiragan Palace through the Yildiz Park.
Chiragan is a former Ottoman palace built between 1863 and 1872 by Sultan Abdul Aziz. More about the Chiragan Palace...
Today it is beautiful (in the Baroque style) 5-star Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul with a garden and a panoramic swimming pool overlooking the waters of the Bosphorus.
At the hotel: swimming pools, spa and wellness center, fitness center, restaurant, bar, lounge, gazebo, Turkish bath, free private parking and Wi-Fi.
Luxury bed linen is provided in the hotel rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. All rooms have a balcony with views of the garden or the Bosphorus.
The room rate includes: breakfast or breakfast + dinner. Link to the hotel 
Near the Kempinski Hotel there is another chic 5-star hotel Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, also located in a restored Ottoman mansion of the 19th century by the waters of the Bosphorus Strait and having a garden, a view of the Bosphorus, panoramic outdoor and indoor pools, a bar and a spa. Link to the hotel
All accommodation facilities in Istanbul, including in the historical center, on the European and Asian sides of the city, can be viewed and booked here
