Yıldız Sarayı

On the hill behind Beşiktaş, overlooking the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, Yıldız Palace was, in the words of the National Palaces, the last great palace the Ottoman state built in Istanbul. A complex of pavilions, apartments and gardens spread over some 500,000 square metres, it was the main residence of Abdülhamid II for 33 years of his reign. It consists of three parts: the buildings of state administration, the private quarters of the sultan and his harem, and the outer garden that is today's Yıldız Park. Transferred to the National Palaces in 2018, it opened as a museum in 2024 after restoration. The harem, the Small Mabeyn and the Hasbahçe are among the sections visited. Closed on Wednesdays.