Istanbul’s palaces

This stunning palace was built in 1865 by Sultan Abdulaziz (1830–1876) as a summer residence and to entertain guests – Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph and French Emperor Napoleon III’s wife, Empress Eugenie, both visited.

The palace’s opulent interior features a blend of Ottoman, Baroque, and Rococo styles, adorned with exquisite chandeliers, gilded ceilings, and luxurious furnishings. Notable rooms include the reception hall, the Grand Hall, and the Sultan’s study.

Today, the main structure and harem sections are open to visitors. Explore its lavish rooms and beautifully manicured gardens for a fascinating insight into the grandeur of the Ottoman Empire and the decadent lifestyles of its sultans.

This luxurious, modern ‘European’ palace on the banks of the Bosphorus was built on the order of the Ottoman Empire’s 31st Sultan, Abdulmecid I, and was built between the years 1843 and 1856. An extraordinary and unique architectural curiosity, the Dolmabahce blends Ottoman architecture with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical details – it’s overwhelming to the point of kitsch, and so lavish that it bankrupted the Empire.

Don’t trust the clocks: they all say 9.05, stopped at the hour when the Turkish revolutionary statesman Ataturk died here on 10 November 1938.

On the lesser-explored Asian side of Istanbul, this petite palace, built in 1857, served as a hunting lodge and summer retreat for Sultan Abdulmecid I. Inside, it’s lavishly furnished with crystal chandeliers, marble fireplaces and Persian rugs. It’s open to the public as a museum.

One of the city’s oldest and best-preserved Byzantine palaces, the Tekfur Palace aka ‘Palace of the Porphyrogenitus’ was built during the 12th century as a royal residence for the Byzantine emperors. It now lies abandoned, with ruins for visitors to explore.

Built in 1459 to become the 15th and 16th-century home of the Ottoman Sultans, this enormous complex became the centre of the Ottoman world. Now it’s a perfectly preserved time capsule of life at the top in this most exotic of empires. Some parts of the palace, especially the harem and the sultans’ private quarters, rank among the finest works of Turkish architecture and art.

The museum holds Ottoman clothing, weapons, armour, miniatures, religious relics, and illuminated manuscripts such as the Topkapi manuscript. The collections the sultans piled up over the centuries – from glittering jewels to Prophet Muhammad’s tooth – are beyond belief.