Author
Architects Sarkis Balyan and Agup Balyan.
Author Original
المعماران سركيس باليان وآغوب باليان
Publication Date
1281 / 1865
Type
Other
Language
Undetermined
Digital
Yes
Manuscript
No
Library
Museum With No Frontiers
Record ID
monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;29;ar
Library Location
Istanbul, Türkiye
Date
1281 / 1865
Notes
Beylerbeyi Palace is a coastal residence in the Beylerbeyi district (officially known as the Cross Gardens) on the Anatolian side of the Bosphorus. The various parts of the palace complex were built independently, regardless of their symmetry. The main building, the palace building, has two brick floors projecting onto a raised plinth. It occupies a rectangular area extending in a north-south direction, with approximate dimensions of 60 x 40 m. The southern section was designed in the style of government apartments, while the northern section takes the form of a family corner. The main building has a symmetrical and axial plan. In contrast to the Western influences that appear on the building's exterior, the horizontal plan is similar to a traditional Turkish house, with rooms arranged around a central courtyard equipped with iwans. As for the wall adjacent to the dock, it exudes vitality thanks to the repetition of the triangular columns adjacent to the walls and protruding from them. It includes two gates opening from the sea side and two small wings next to the sea, one for men and the other for women. These two magnificent gates (gates to the banks or the sea) are used to protect the entrance to the palace from water. They are also designed so that one belongs to the men’s corner and the other belongs to the women’s corner, and this is a reflection of the oriental style. The design is eye-catching and gives life to both ends of the beach wall. The other buildings in the complex, namely the Court Pavilion, the Yellow Pavilion, and the private stables, are distributed throughout within gardens surrounded by walls and connected to each other by stairs and stairs. As for the Deer House, the Bird House, the Lion House, the Pashas’ Pavilion, and the Music Pavilion, they no longer exist. The facades of Beylerbeyi Palace, as well as the organization of its interior spaces, all take eclectic forms. It is clear that Sultan Abdul Aziz was influenced by his new palace and its decoration. The facades include arches and windows in Greek and Roman styles. The design achieved a balanced classical plan using circular arches and limited architectural forms. It also highlights the plastic influence of Baroque styles. In addition to the clear Western influence in the exterior decoration, the intensity of traditional Ottoman and Eastern drawings can be seen in the interior spaces. There are paintings with marine scenes and military drawings, such as swords and banners, seen in many rooms and salons. Since there is no heating system in the palace, it can be concluded that the entire complex was designed as a summer palace. The Beylerbeyi Palace was first built of wood specifically for Sultan Mehmed II (r. 1223-1255 / 1808-1839) by the architect Krikor Emir Bilan. As for the currently existing Beylerbeyi Palace, it was designed and built under the auspices of the architects Sarkis Balyan and Agup Balyan, and by order of Sultan Abdul Aziz between the years 1276 and 1281 / 1861 and 1865, after abandoning the original palace, which was exposed to fire during the reign of Sultan Abdul Majid (ruled in the period 1255-1277 / 1839-1861). Over the years, Beylerbey Palace has hosted many foreign guests, and Sultan Abdul Hamid (ruled in the period 1293-1327 / 1876-1909) was the last person to reside in the palace during the Ottoman era, before he was deposed from the throne. During the Republican era (after 1923), some sections of the palace were used to receive state guests, until they were opened to visitors in 1985, and were renovated to contain various artistic activities. Today, Beylerbey Palace is used as a museum palace linked to the national palaces.
Sample Text
"Beylerbay Palace" within Discover Islamic Art. Museum Without Borders, 2026. 2026. https://islamicart.museumwnf.org/database_item.php?id=monument;ISL;tr;Mon01;29;ar
