The Palace of Beylerbeyi

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The Palace of Beylerbeyi

Beylerbeyi sarayı

Le Palais de Beylerbeyi (B osphore)

N o on can d en y that the im perial O ttom an palaces situated a lo n g sid e the B osph orus are a d d in g charm to this excuisite W a t e rw a y which has so graciou sly been chanted by poets an d writers through the centuries.

Pafaces o n d o ld Turkish se ash ore m ansions called « Y a lı» which w ere so la v ish ly built w ere once d e­ corating the shores o f the Bosphorus. They, being w ooden constructions, hove lo n g a g o been ruined, burnt or dem olished. The present p a la c e o f Dolm a- bahçe, Ç irağan , Yildiz, Beylerbeyi a n d G ö k su y u are all constructions o f the last century.

After the first h a lf o f the ninteenth century, we see the Sultans h a v in g a b a n d o n e d the o ld palace of Se ra g lio in favor o f the D o lm a b a h çe palace, built in 1 8 5 3 by Sultan Abdülm ecit. The other big palaces were built on subsequent dates.

The district w here the present Palace o f Beylerbeyi lies w as called by the Byzantines C hrysokeram os, the w ord being com posed o f “ c h ry so s” m eaning golden a n d "k e r a m o s " m eaning tile. In fact, there w as exis­ ting in that p alace an o ld church venerated in the nam e o f the virgin erected b y Justin- a n d Sop hia which w as covered by h ig h ly p olished tiles reflecting the sun rays like gold. O n account o f the presence of this church the place h ad been calle d b y the Turks Istavros G ard en. All the hinterland o f an extension o f two a n d a half kilometers to the interior lea din g to Sultan

Çiftlik a n d Bulgurlu, called by the Byzantines Eleon, w as d en sely covered with centuries old pine trees ex­ tending to Büyük Çam lica.

This lovely spot, facin g the waters o f the Bosphorus an d backed by such a beautiful forest, w as more sys tem atically em bellished b y the Vezir, Dam at Ibrah Paşa.

A w o o d e n p a la c e built here in 161 2 w as called Ş e v ka b a d . It w a s here that the Sultan M u ra d IV wo» born. This p a la c e w a s subseq uently rebuilt a ga in 'r w o o d b y M a h m u t II, until it offered its place to t** present o n e built by A b d ü l A ziz in 1965.

Its architect, the A rm e n ian Serkis Balian was a 1»* the constructor o f the D o lm a b a h ç e Palace.

The style is heavily luxurious. Its spacious or i orientally decorated big reception w alls which c ' ornam ented with p o n d a n d co lo n ad e s have a most pising im pression.

The palace, rather than used as imperial l|V r * quarters, w as m ostly d isp o se d as a guesthouse to P,0~ minent foreign guests. A s such we can cite the no o f Q u e e n E ugenie of France w h o visited Abdii - - • in 1867, the Sh a h N a sre d d in , King N ik o la of Mo negro, the G ra n d D u ke N ik o la of Russia and M o f> G ra f V o n M o ltk e M elm irth. The latter has left ui meticulous description o f the palace.

SEPTEMBRE 1963

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last days.

In this p alac e there h ad been d isplayed for the f,rst time in Turkey the a p p a ra tu s o f telegraph. The American Professor Smith h ad installed telegraphic communication within the quarters of the palace thus

h a v in g attracted the adm iration an d the co n gra tu ­ lations of Sultan Abdulham it.

The p alace has during the period of the Turkish Republic served o n various occasions for entertaining several leaders o f foreign countries w h o visited Turkey.

Basil A . P H O T IA D E S

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