Beylerbeyi Palace

Beylerbeyi Palace (Beylerbeyi Sarayı) sits on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, just north of the first Bosphorus bridge. Built in 1865 by the same architect as Dolmabahçe (the Balyan family), it was the Sultan's summer residence and his preferred state guest house — Empress Eugénie of France stayed here in 1869, and the palace has a room named after her visit.

The palace is much smaller and more intimate than Dolmabahçe (24 rooms vs 285), and was where the sultan Abdülaziz liked to escape for the cooler sea breezes. The interior has the same Ottoman-baroque mixture as Dolmabahçe, with Hereke carpets, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, and a few famous frescoes — including a trompe-l'oeil garden scene painted on the ceiling of the main hall.

The palace sits at the bottom of a garden with a small waterfront pavilion. The Asian side of the Bosphorus feels more residential and quiet than the European side, and visiting Beylerbeyi is a good excuse to spend half a day across the water — pair it with a stop in Çengelköy (a few stops north) for tea and baklava.

~10 EUR, closed Mondays. Mandatory guided tour. Allow 60-90 minutes.