The History of Çırağan Palace
The History of Çırağan Palace
Çırağan Palace
The history of Çırağan Palace reaches back much further than most assume — to the 17th century. The site of today’s palace was famous in the 17th century under the name “Kazancıoğlu Garden”. During the reign of Sultan Ahmed I (1603–1617) it was an important place reserved as an imperial garden for the sultan and his family. In the time of Murad IV (1623–1640) it was given as a gift to his daughter Kaya Sultan, and so the first structure belonging to the dynasty took shape here.
The accession of Sultan Ahmed III (1703–1730) and the appointment of Nevşehirli Damad İbrahim Pasha as grand vizier also marked the beginning of Çırağan Palace’s story on the Bosphorus. İbrahim Pasha, who married the sultan’s daughter Fatma Sultan, had the first building bearing the name “Çırağan” — the “Çırağan Waterside Mansion” — built here for his beloved wife.
Appearing as the most famous building on the Bosphorus in the 18th century, the Çırağan Mansion was among the favourite haunts of the seven sultans who took the throne that century. Sultan Ahmed III in particular spent much of his 27-year reign here. Grand Vizier İbrahim Pasha and Fatma Sultan frequently invited the sultan and the imperial harem to the Çırağan Mansion, hosting legendary grand entertainments here.
The candle festivities that gave Çırağan its name were among the essentials of the Tulip Era. With the light spreading from colourful lanterns on one side and colourful tulips on the other, the Çırağan Mansion stood like an enchanted scene from the Thousand and One Nights in 18th-century Istanbul. Gathering all the colours of the palace and of Istanbul during the Tulip Era, Çırağan shone brightly enough to make the sun jealous with its elegance by day and the moonlight jealous with its colours by night.
The transformation of the Çırağan Mansion into a shore palace coincides with the reign of Sultan Mahmud II (1808–1839). In 1834 the sultan had the mansion and the adjoining Beşiktaş Mevlevi Lodge demolished and began building the first great palace structure in their place. Built in an Antiquity-inspired architecture never before seen in the buildings of the dynasty, this wooden palace’s façade facing the Bosphorus was carried by forty great columns with heavy ornamentation. However, Sultan Mahmud did not live to see the completion of this palace he so longed for.
After Sultan Mahmud’s death it was completed by his son Sultan Abdülmecid (1839). Sultan Abdülmecid (1839–1861) used Çırağan Palace intermittently until 1856, when Dolmabahçe Palace — built as the main palace — was completed. The year he moved to Dolmabahçe, he ordered Çırağan demolished and a palace complex even more magnificent than Dolmabahçe to be built in its place. But he too shared his father’s fate and did not see this palace completed. Today’s Çırağan Palace was completed by his brother Sultan Abdülaziz (1861–1876), in 1871.
Çırağan Palace is in neither the European nor the Asian architectural style. It is, in a sense, a place where all the refinements of taste and aesthetics in the world took shape in harmony. The architects of this building — which cost 2.5 million gold coins — were the Balyan Family, of the empire’s Armenian subjects and among the court architects. Each door of the palace cost a thousand gold coins. Regarded as great works of art in woodwork and mother-of-pearl inlay, one of these doors so pleased the German Emperor Wilhelm II during his visit to Istanbul that Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876–1909) had one of the doors removed and presented it to him as a gift.
Among the most important guests Istanbul hosted in the 19th century was Empress Eugénie of France. Eugénie’s visit to Istanbul (1869) was a return of the visit Sultan Abdülaziz made to France in 1867. What made this journey significant was that it gave rise to perhaps the greatest gossip of the century: the love of Sultan Abdülaziz and Empress Eugénie. Hosted at Beylerbeyi Palace, the empress also toured Çırağan Palace, which was not yet completed at the time, and could not hide her astonishment before the legendary Imperial Hammam that Sultan Abdülaziz gave particular care to and that retains its originality to this day.
The only person to reside continuously at Çırağan Palace for 28 years was Sultan Murad V. He was a prince so remarkable that, during a visit to England together with Sultan Aziz, Queen Victoria of England wished to marry him to one of her granddaughters. He came to the throne in 1876 upon the deposition of his uncle Sultan Aziz. At the end of his 93-day reign, his brother Sultan Abdülhamid II assigned Çırağan Palace to him and his family. He spent 28 uninterrupted years here until his death in 1904. Thus Çırağan Palace took on the character of a magnificent prison with no other example in the world.
Murad V, who had an exceptional talent for music, never left his piano during the long years he spent at Çırağan Palace and composed hundreds of pieces. The sultan’s life, which ended at Çırağan Palace, also became the subject of an opera-ballet — the music by Sultan Murad V, the arrangement by the famous musicologist, conductor and composer Dr Emre Aracı. Its premiere was likewise performed in 2012 within the walls of Çırağan Palace, where Murad V had composed his works. That same year, Osman Selahaddin Osmanoğlu — the grandson of Sultan Murad V’s grandson — married Hanife Candan Günen at Çırağan Palace, where his father Prince Ali Vâsıb Efendi was also born (22 April 2012).
Although it was possible to save many valuable works from the Çırağan Palace fire, Murad V’s famous library of thousands of books was consumed by the flames. In the 1910 fire, some paintings brought from Yıldız Palace and placed in the parliament building at that time could not be saved. Among these, many paintings by Rembrandt — famous in Europe as the “painter of light and shadow” — and by Ayvazovsky — held in great esteem in the Russian, English and French courts yet who accepted the position of court painter to Sultan Abdülaziz — were lost.
Because of Sultan Abdülaziz’s interest in animals, especially tigers and lions, additional structures called the “deer house” and the “lion house” were built in the gardens of Çırağan and Beylerbeyi Palaces. As a result of this interest, bronze and marble statues and vases were commissioned from France to decorate the gardens of Beylerbeyi and Çırağan Palaces. These works were created by the French artist and sculptor Pierre Louis Rouillard — one of Europe’s most famous names — and his team. Of these statues, each of which cost thousands of Ottoman lira, those adorning the Çırağan Palace garden were moved to Dolmabahçe and Yıldız Palaces after the fire.
Çırağan Palace was assigned to the Parliament of the Ottoman Empire during the reign of Sultan Reşad (1909–1918). For this reason it was renovated in 1909, refurnished to suit the use of the parliament, and the first session took place on 14 November 1909 with an official opening attended by Sultan Reşad himself. Thus, in 1909, Çırağan Palace became the most important symbol of the transition from monarchy to constitutional government — the gateway opening towards democracy. But unexpectedly, on 19 January 1910, it burned down completely within a few hours as a result of a fire caused by an electrical short circuit in the roof.
Although Çırağan’s light was extinguished by the 1910 fire, many famous names who had the chance to see the palace in the 19th century did not fail to include its legendary beauty in the memoirs they wrote. Thus the splendour of Çırağan Palace has been kept alive like a dream in many works written in different languages.
After the fire of 19 January 1910, the garden of Çırağan Palace — which preserved its place for years with its standing walls — became a favourite venue for sporting events during the Republican era. The garden on the right side of the main building, with a small arrangement, was first named Çırağan Stadium and then Şeref Stadium. There was also a swimming pool between the main building of Çırağan Palace and Şeref Stadium. From newspaper reports of the period it is understood that the pool, which hosted many events, was also an important venue for song, dance and beauty contests.
A Story of Rebirth
The person behind Çırağan Palace’s rebirth from its ashes was Dr Ramzi Sanbar, the head of the Sanbar Group. A motionless shadow left over from the dreams of sultans came to life again with Dr Sanbar’s vision.
With the agreement signed on 13 March 1985 between the Sanbar Group and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, Çırağan’s 75-year silent wait came to an end. After a protocol agreement was signed stating that the Sanbar Group would be the producer, designer and project manager and Kumagai Gumi the main construction contractor, construction began in 1987. Just as in the times when the palace first rose on the Bosphorus, workshops re-established on the palace grounds served this time for major restoration and construction work.
On the field used as Şeref Stadium, today’s hotel building was raised with an architectural plan that would not clash with the palace’s architecture. While the hotel building was built with modern architecture on an area further back so as not to overshadow the palace’s splendour, originality was preserved in the restoration of the palace façade.
With its unique location, extraordinary view and historic identity, Çırağan Palace took its place on the Bosphorus in its former splendour — but under the name Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul — as the result of long, exhausting and meticulous work. On 15 January 1991, it opened its doors to guests with the modern hotel building built as an extension of the palace.
As throughout the history of Çırağan Palace, it welcomes its guests with experiences they could not have anywhere else in the world. The soap service offered to guests staying in the suites of the palace section is a striking experience that carries a tradition of centuries past to the present day. The Sultan Suite has been shown many times by international publications among the most luxurious and magnificent suites in the world. In its early days, the “brunch” culture and “afternoon tea at the Palace” became a socialising activity for many.
Taking its name from the “Tuğra” — the signature of Ottoman sultans — Tuğra Restaurant is the signature restaurant of Çırağan Palace, presenting delicious examples of Ottoman cuisine to the whole world. It reflects palace splendour with its specially designed tuğra-marked plates, glasses, silver service sets and its çeşm-i bülbül (nightingale’s eye) glassware — among the rare works produced since the late Ottoman period. A choice of royal family members, world-famous artists and heads of state, the venue has been featured by international media in lists such as “40 Incredible Restaurants Around the World You Must Eat At in Your Lifetime”, “The World’s Most Magnificent Seaside Restaurants” and “The World’s 50 Romantic Places”.
As in many things, Çırağan Palace was also a pioneer in interior décor. The palace’s decoration was based on furnishings from other palaces in Istanbul. Many pieces of furniture prepared as special orders carry the traces of Topkapı Palace, Dolmabahçe Palace, Beylerbeyi Palace and Yıldız Palace. The approach followed in the décor is like a meeting of the old Çırağan with today’s Çırağan.
Surviving the 1910 fire to reach our day and captivating all with its craftsmanship, the Imperial Hammam is made of the most valuable marble of its era. This special space is among the finest examples of Turkish bath culture. Because it is an original space of striking beauty with its high ceiling, architecture, marble craftsmanship and eye-catching basins, it is today carefully preserved and opens its doors for various events only with special permission.
As in history, Çırağan Palace continues its important receptions and representations today and displays all its splendour to the world at every opportunity. Since the day it opened, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul has hosted the city’s celebrated stays, events and weddings, and has been the choice of many important names such as royal families, heads of state and famous artists. The frames and inscriptions at the hotel entrance are keepsakes of these visits.
One of the first things that comes to mind when Çırağan Palace is mentioned is its weddings, which captivate the whole world with their magnificent, elegant and romantic atmosphere. This palace, where the daughters of sultans once became brides, has since the day it opened — like Istanbul itself, a bridge stretching from Asia to Europe — witnessed and continues to witness the fairy-tale weddings and honeymoon days of the world’s leading names.