Beylerbeyi Palace

Palace Ottoman waterside palace on the Bosphorus

Beylerbeyi Palace sits on Istanbul’s Asian shore of the Bosphorus and served as an Ottoman summer residence. Tourists tour its ornate rooms, tiled interiors and riverside gardens for period furnishings and Bosphorus views.

Beylerbeyi Palace is a 19th-century Ottoman summer palace on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul, constructed during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz and completed in the 1860s. It was used as a seasonal imperial residence and for hosting visiting dignitaries.

The palace features richly decorated reception halls and imperial apartments, with extensive use of mother-of-pearl inlay, gilding and imported European decorative elements. Visitors encounter formal state rooms and private quarters that illustrate late Ottoman court life and 19th-century tastes.

Beylerbeyi was commissioned in the 1860s to serve the Ottoman court’s needs on the Bosphorus and has since been preserved and opened for public visits as a museum. The palace complex sits just beneath the Bosphorus Bridge on the Asian side and faces the European shore across the strait.

Function and era: Built in the mid-19th century as an imperial Ottoman summer palace on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus and often used for official visits and receptions.
Location detail: The palace is located close to the Bosphorus shore beneath the Bosphorus Bridge, offering direct waterfront views across the strait.

What to See #

Selamlik: Selamlik (Audience Rooms) - formal reception and ceremonial rooms used for official functions, richly decorated with mother-of-pearl and gilded details.
Imperial apartments / Terrace: Imperial apartments and waterfront terrace - residential suites and a terrace facing the Bosphorus used by the sultan and guests for summer residence and viewing the strait.

How to Get to Beylerbeyi Palace #

Beylerbeyi Palace sits on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in the Üsküdar/Beylerbeyi area of Istanbul. A common route is to take a Bosphorus ferry from Eminönü or Beşiktaş to Üsküdar (or Marmaray to Üsküdar) and then a short taxi or local bus ride east along the shoreline to the palace; it’s a brief walk from the shore to the entrance. By car it is reached from central Istanbul across the Bosphorus in about 15-30 minutes depending on traffic (roughly 6-8 km from central districts such as Sultanahmet/Taksim).

Tips for Visiting Beylerbeyi Palace #

Visit Beylerbeyi Palace early in the morning right at opening to avoid the cruise-ship and tour-bus rush that concentrates on the Bosphorus shore later in the day.
Approach from the Asian shore - take a ferry to Üsküdar or the local Bosphorus ferry to Beylerbeyi and walk down to the palace for the best, traffic-free route and a pleasant waterside arrival.
Save time to linger on the terrace and gardens facing the Bosphorus at late afternoon light - the views across the strait are better and far less crowded than midday.