Yildiz Palace & Chalet
Experience Ottoman Luxury at Yildiz Palace And Chalet
The Sultans of the Ottoman Empire loved to spend their time in luxury and opulence, and many of the palaces and buildings which are still standing in Istanbul today show you this very fact extremely clearly! Look at Dolmabahce Palace for example – can you imagine a more opulent place? Located right on the banks of the Bosphorus, this is a palace which is enough to put any other building to shame.
Of course, the various palaces and places of importance which are still standing in Istanbul are also steeped in endless amounts of history. One of those places is the beautiful Yildiz Palace and Chalet.
One of the last Ottoman residences, Yildiz Palace and Chalet was built towards the end of the 19th century, by order of Sultan Abdulhamit II. The palace is sat within a large park, giving a calm and serene feel to the entire area, with stunning Bosphorus views to boot. The park covers a huge 123 acres of land, and there are countless other smaller pavilions and summer houses which are scattered across the green area.
The Chalet is one of the most stunning buildings on the site, and this really will show you at first hand how luxurious and opulent the Sultans liked their lives to be. The chalet had two original buildings, dating back to 1889, and it was designed by Raimondo D’Aronco, an Italian architect who was renowned at the time.
The Architecture of Yildiz Palace And Chalet
Made out of a combination of stone and wood, Yildiz Palace and Chalet focuses entirely on opulence. There are three sweeping staircases which are comprised of marble and wood, winding to the upper floors of the building. Even the carpets are still there, and having been custom made at the time! You will find a huge range of different architectural styles here, but mostly Rococo, Islamic, and Baroque predominantly.
The gardens are equally as impressive as the palace and chalet themselves, and are very well tended to. A walk around these gardens during a sunny day will be enough to calm the senses, have a particularly busy time exploring the frenetic city of Istanbul! A little time in nature can do wonders for the soul.
You will find a large selection of different flowers and trees around the gardens, including brightly coloured tulips which look divine during the spring and summer months in particular. The fauna and flora of the palace is meant to have a truly international feel, with trees from all around the world. Of course, there is also an uninterrupted, panoramic view over the Bosphorus, and from this slightly higher vantage point, you can see very easily over to Asia. This is a photo you need in your collection!
The grounds are home to several small garden pavilions, as well as a small mosque which is beautiful in its simplicity. The Yildiz Porcelain Factory can be found within the palace’s grounds, and this still produces porcelain items today, as well as being a museum to the former practices throughout history. This is definitely worth a visit also.
Visiting Yildiz Palace and Chalet
The Yildiz neighbourhood is found within Besiktas, which is very easy to reach from any part of the city. Besiktas is on the European side of Istanbul, so if you are staying on the Asian side, you simply need to take the ferry over to Besiktas and walk the very short distance to the palace. Buses run from both Sultanahmet and Taksim, or you can take the tram from Sultanahmet and walk the short distance past Dolmabahce Palace.
Yildiz Palace and Chalet is closed on Mondays and Thursdays, but open every other day, between 9.30am and 4.30pm. It will cost you 10TL to enter the grounds and palace, however do check nearer to the time of your visit in terms of whether any parts of the grounds are closed to visitors. This could be the case during public and religious holidays, or when restoration work is going on.
It is easy to while away half a day visiting Yildiz Palace and Chalet, and after that you can walk slowly back down into Besiktas and explore the busy area for yourself. There are many shopping opportunities around here, and many restaurants and coffee shops. Of course, you can also walk back over to Dolmabahce Palace, or take a Bosphorus cruise from the main pier.
Yildiz Palace and Chalet could be classified as somewhat of a hidden gem, but it is a spot you will be glad you visited.
Visit Hours:
Chalet museum: 09:00 am – 04:30 pm, closed on Thursdays.
Tickets Prices:
Chalet museum: Adults: 10 TL, Kids: 5 TL.
Location
Place Information
- Place Address : Yıldız Mahallesi Serencebey Yokuşu, Yıldız, Barbaros Blv. No:62, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul, Turkey
- Visit Hours :
- Monday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Tuesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Friday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday: 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Place Rating : 4.3
- Ticket Prices : Chalet museum: Adults: 10 TL, Kids: 5 TL.
- Learn how to reach this place.
- Taksim: bus numer 42 T will take you directly to Beliktaş or for a faster journey you can take Minibus from Gümüşsuyu Hill.
- Kadikoy: Take Ferry to Beşiktaş and walk.
- Sultanahmet: Take Bus TB2 to BArbaros Bulvarı and walk.
- Istanbul Ataturk Airport: Take M1a transfer to Metro M2 at Yenikapı station and leave at taksim station. Take Bus 62 to Kabataş Station and walk.
