Çırağan Palace

The History of Çırağan Palace

This magnificent area, which gained fame in the 18th century with the famous Çırağan Festivities of the Tulip Era, takes its name from the Persian word 'Çırağan,' meaning 'lights.' Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz, having inherited these pavilions from his ancestors, had them demolished and began the construction of the palace of his dreams in 1863, completing it in 1871. The new Çırağan Palace, built with great effort and expense by the Balyan family architects (Nigoğos and Sarkis Balyan), who also constructed the Dolmabahçe and Beylerbeyi Palaces, was known as one of the most extravagant structures of its time. However, Sultan Abdulaziz was able to spend only a short time in this palace as he passed away soon after. His successor and nephew, Sultan Murad V, was deposed after his brief reign in 1876 due to mental illness and was held under house arrest in this palace for 28 years. During this period, referred to as 'a magnificent prison unlike any in the world,' the palace bore witness to a sorrowful captivity. In fact, in 1878, a group led by journalist Ali Suavi attempted to rescue Sultan Murad from here and restore him to the throne through a failed coup attempt known in history as the Çırağan Raid.

With the proclamation of the Second Constitutional Era in 1909, the Ottoman Parliament (Meclis-i Mebusan) was moved from Dolmabahçe to here; thus, Çırağan Palace briefly served as the center of the country's administration. However, this new role did not last long. On the night of January 19, 1910, during a parliamentary session, a fire broke out in the upper floors of the palace, reducing the entire building to ashes in just five hours. Amid the flames, the palace's invaluable antiques, paintings, Sultan Abdülhamid II’s private art collection, and Sultan Murad’s library containing thousands of volumes were destroyed. With only its outer stone walls remaining, Çırağan Palace stood for many years as an abandoned ruin left to its fate. In the 1930s, its garden was converted into Beşiktaş Şeref Stadium, hosting football matches and occasionally being used for various purposes. Finally, in the 1980s, a comprehensive restoration project was launched to bring the palace back to life from its ashes. The building, which began restoration in 1987 through a Turkish-Japanese partnership, reopened its doors in 1990 under the name Çırağan Palace Kempinski, with a modern hotel block added. This historic palace, which holds the memories of sultans, continues its life today both as a magnificent museum-legend reflecting the heritage of the past and as a world-renowned hotel and event center.

The Architecture of Çırağan Palace

The architecture of Çırağan Palace presents an extraordinary synthesis where Eastern and Western styles blend. Although its general plan is built in a neo-classical style, the ornamentation and details exhibit an orientalist style influenced by North Africa. The Balyan brothers, the Ottoman architects of the era, gave the palace a character reminiscent of Eastern tales by studying examples of North African Islamic architecture, such as the Alhambra Palace, at the request of Sultan Abdülaziz. On the palace's exterior, colorful marble, porphyry, and Solomonic columns are arranged rhythmically across two floors; arched windows framed with cornices at the top and bottom and relief motifs add lively movement to the façade. The wide marble stairs on the Bosphorus side are designed to lead visitors directly to the palace's large ceremonial hall, known as the Direkli Salon. There are four monumental ceremonial gates in the outdoor area; two of these are on the land side (the Imperial Gate and the Queen Mother’s Gate), and the other two are on the sea side, known as the Koltuk Gate. On the palace's rear (south) facade, an arched overpass (a marble bridge) connecting to Yıldız Park on the slopes of Beşiktaş was constructed; today, this bridge, still standing in a form reminiscent of a triumphal arch, passes over Çırağan Street.

Exploring Çırağan Palace by Yacht

Approaching Çırağan Palace from the sea is not just about seeing a building; it is about gliding along shores once traced by sultans. Its elegant marble façades stretch parallel to the flow of the Bosphorus, reflecting on the water like a painting. Surrounded by high walls on the land side, this magnificent structure opens to the blue of Istanbul in all its splendor on the sea front. As you glide by yacht, the shadows of the columns ripple with the waves, and the play of light on the water weaves the palace's arches into golden lace. During the day, the sunlight reflected on the marble is mesmerizing; at night, it transforms into a dazzling dream palace with lights. Especially when moving through the middle of the Bosphorus, seeing the historic shoreline behind you and this elegant palace ahead allows you to grasp Istanbul's timeless face in a single glance. Experiencing such a view with an Istanbul yacht rental is not just a luxury, but a special connection with history.