Yildiz Palace Skip the Line Ticket

Yu0131ldu0131z Palace, in short

The third of Istanbul's imperial palaces, and by some distance the quietest. Where Topkapu0131 is ceremonial and Dolmabahu00e7e is theatrical, Yu0131ldu0131z is domestic u2014 a scattering of pavilions, workshops and gardens on a wooded hillside above Beu015fiktau015f.

It began as a hunting lodge and grew into the seat of government under Abdu00fclhamid II, who ruled from here for over thirty years rather than from the grander palace down the hill.

Opening hours

Open 09:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 17:00.

What it costs

Walk-up entry is 900 Turkish lira, around u20ac23. Included on the pass.

Getting there

It sits above Beu015fiktau015f. Take the T1 tram to Kabatau015f and walk up, or take a taxi to the palace gate u2014 the climb is steeper than it looks on a map.

How long to allow

Two to three hours if you want the pavilions and the park. An hour and a half covers the main buildings.

What to see

The u015eale Ku00f6u015fku00fc is the highlight u2014 built to house visiting heads of state, with a reception room floored by a single hand-knotted Hereke carpet so large it had to be woven in place.

The park around the pavilions is the other reason to come. Abdu00fclhamid was a keen carpenter and the palace workshop still stands; the grounds were laid out as a private landscape and remain one of the calmest green spaces in the city.

Why it matters

Yu0131ldu0131z marks the last chapter of Ottoman rule. Abdu00fclhamid moved the machinery of government here in 1878 and governed from it until he was deposed in 1909 u2014 the empire's final decades were administered from these rooms.