Category: Residential / Public
Type: Mansion / Restaurant
Location: Çubuklu, Koru St., Beykoz
Date: 1903-1907
Designer: Delfo Seminati
Period: Ottoman Empire
Photo: T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı (goturkiye.com)
The Khedive’s Palace, commissioned in 1907 for Abbas Hilmi Pasha, the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan, serves as a premier example of the Art Nouveau style in Istanbul with its fluid lines and intricate floral motifs designed by the Italian architect Delfo Seminati. Situated atop the scenic hills of Beykoz, the structure is celebrated for its landmark tower offering panoramic Bosphorus views and its historically significant steam-powered elevator, which was a height of luxury at the time of its construction. Following its acquisition and restoration by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the palace now functions as a public social facility and restaurant, where visitors can experience its ornate marble interiors and vast rose gardens. By serving as a popular venue for weddings, official receptions, and cultural gatherings, the building continues to preserve its diplomatic prestige while remaining a central part of the city’s social and architectural heritage.
Beylerbeyi Palace was used as a summer residence and as the State Guest House. Many guests stayed here like Franz Joseph, Emperor of Austria-Hungary (1869); Eugénie, Empress of France (1869); Nikola, King of Montenegro (1874) and German Emperor Wilhelm II. Sultan Abdülhamid II, after he was dethroned, spent his last six years in Beylerbeyi Palace and died here in 1918.
