Çırağan Palace

Located on the European side of the Bosphorus, on the shore between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy, Çırağan Palace leaves a captivating impression at first glance with its opulent architecture and historical texture. Dating back to the 19th century, this palace offers a stunning view, especially when seen from the sea, with its elegant details and massive façade. Rising right beside the waters of the Strait, the palace's white marble facades sparkle in the sunlight at all hours of the day, leaving visitors in awe. With its historical texture and majestic stance, Çırağan Palace forms a silhouette that seems to say ‘hello’ to the boats passing through the Strait.

History of Çırağan Palace

In the 17th and 18th centuries, palaces and groves stood in the area where Çırağan Palace is located today. Its name, Çırağan, meaning ‘lights’ in Persian, derives from the torchlight celebrations held here during the Tulip Era. Sultan Abdülmecid planned to demolish the old wooden palace here in the 1850s and build a more magnificent palace in its place; however, once the construction of Dolmabahçe Palace was completed (1856), he stopped using this site and the new palace project was left unfinished. With Abdülmecid's death in 1861, the project was realised during the reign of his brother, Sultan Abdülaziz. The construction of the palace, designed by Nikoğos Balyan of the renowned Balyan family of architects, began in 1863 and was completed in 1871. Sultan Abdülaziz moved into this new palace, which had been built at great expense and effort, but shortly afterwards, rumours spread that it was damp and brought bad luck, so he left Çırağan and returned to Dolmabahçe Palace.

The palace witnessed important events in the final period of the Ottoman Empire. After Abdülaziz, his nephew Murad V ascended the throne. After a short reign in 1876, he was deposed on the grounds of mental instability and confined to the harem quarters of Çırağan Palace, where he spent the last 28 years of his life. On 20 May 1878, a group led by journalist Ali Suavi staged a raid on the palace to rescue Murad V and restore him to the throne (known as the Çırağan Incident); however, this attempt was thwarted by security forces, and Ali Suavi lost his life. After the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Monarchy, in 1909, the palace was prepared to be used as the Meclis-i Mebusan (parliament) building. Unfortunately, this new use was very short-lived; on 19 January 1910, a major fire broke out in the main building of the palace, destroying everything within five hours and leaving only the outer stone walls standing. During the fire, Sultan Abdülhamid's valuable art collection and Murad V's library, which were housed here, were also completely destroyed. The garden of Çırağan Palace, which remained in ruins for many years afterwards, was converted into a football field called Şeref Stadium by Beşiktaş Football Club in the 1930s, with the trees being cut down. By the 1980s, steps were taken to bring the palace back to life; with the restoration and hotel project that began in 1987, the palace was renovated with the addition of a modern hotel building. Following the restoration, the hotel section reopened in 1990, and the historic palace section reopened in 1992, transforming Çırağan Palace into a luxury hotel as part of the Kempinski hotel chain. Today, the palace continues to serve both guests and visitors as a hotel, restaurant, and event venue, preserving its historic fabric.

Architecture of Çırağan Palace

The architecture of Çırağan Palace combines the Ottoman palace tradition with the Orientalist style of the 19th century. Although its exterior is symmetrical in a neo-classical style, its decoration and ornamentation are dominated by Eastern influences; arches and motifs bearing traces of North African Islamic architecture are particularly striking. The palace was built on a high basement with three floors. The length of its façade parallel to the sea is approximately 120 metres, and this façade is entirely covered in marble, embossed motifs and columned arched windows. The magnificent main entrance, known as the Saltanat Gate, and other monumental gates emphasise the palace's splendour. No expense was spared in the construction of the palace; valuable materials such as marble, porphyry and mother-of-pearl were used for the exterior and building materials, many of which were specially imported from abroad. It is stated that millions of Ottoman gold coins were spent on the construction of this magnificent building.

The interior of the palace is just as opulent as the exterior. The interior decoration features walls covered with marble panels in different colours, and the columns supporting the halls are made of marble and porphyry. Huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, gold-leafed ceiling decorations, and mother-of-pearl, ivory, and inlaid motifs on the wooden panels surrounding the spacious halls reflect the palace's luxurious taste of the period. From the doors to the furniture, many elements are adorned with skilfully crafted Ottoman motifs. The main hall, accessed via the grand staircase on the sea side of the palace, is designed as a high-ceilinged and airy atrium. Furthermore, an arched stone bridge was built over the street to connect Çırağan Palace to Yıldız Park (the former gardens of Yıldız Palace) on the hillside. This historic bridge, which still stands today, is part of the palace's original architectural complex. With all these features, Çırağan Palace is considered both a pinnacle of late Ottoman architecture and one of the rare examples of world architectural heritage.

Exploring Çırağan Palace by Yacht

As the coastline softens between Ortaköy and Beşiktaş, Çırağan Palace stands by the sea, one of the structures that conveys the elegance of the Bosphorus not loudly, but calmly and with utmost self-assurance. Its proximity to the water prevents it from overshadowing the view, instead placing it at the very center of the landscape, giving the palace a natural balance. While its grandeur is striking when viewed from land, from the sea it displays a far more refined character thanks to its proportions, rhythm, and harmony with its surroundings. As the yacht moves parallel to the shore, the relationship between the walls and the water becomes more pronounced, and the feeling that the past and the present stand side-by-side on the same line subtly emerges. At this point, the palace is perceived not as a structure that overwhelms its surroundings, but as a scene accompanying the flow of the Bosphorus. Viewing it from sea level allows for a slow, deliberate appreciation of the building's magnificence. Standing and observing here is more like breathing in rhythm with the view than simply seeing it. Experiencing Çırağan Palace with this feeling is possible when you charter a yacht and sail along the Bosphorus. Those who want to plan their yachting experience passing in front of Çırağan Palace in detail can easily see how the total cost will be calculated by selecting the number of people in the party, the duration of the charter, and their menu and extra service preferences via the online price calculator on yatkiralama.net/en.