Beylerbeyi Palace Skip-the-Line Ticket with 25-Language Audio Guide

Beylerbeyi Palace: the Ottoman summer residence on the Bosphorus

Beylerbeyi Palace stands on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus in the Beylerbeyi quarter of Üsküdar, immediately south of the 15 July Martyrs Bridge. A wooden summer palace stood here in the early nineteenth century; after it burned in 1851, Sultan Abdülaziz ordered the present marble building, which was constructed between 1863 and 1865 by the Balyan family of court architects. It served as a summer residence and as the official guesthouse for foreign rulers and dignitaries visiting the Ottoman capital, and a deposed sultan spent the final years of his life here in the early twentieth century.

Since 1925 the palace has been looked after as a museum palace, which is why the interiors survive almost intact. The audio guide walks you through the history room by room, so you understand who stayed where and why the building mixes Ottoman planning with French and Italian decoration. Allow about ninety minutes to two hours for the palace and the garden.

Inside the palace: pool hall, reception rooms and harem

The palace follows the traditional Ottoman division into a selamlık for men and official business and a harem for the family, linked by the great pool hall on the ground floor, where a marble basin with a fountain once cooled the air in summer. Upstairs, the Blue Hall and the reception rooms are hung with Bohemian crystal chandeliers, laid with Hereke carpets woven for the palace, and decorated with painted ceilings of ships and seascapes, a reminder that the sultan who built it was fond of the navy.

Look for the Egyptian reed mats under the carpets, the Chinese and Japanese porcelain vases, the French clocks and the dining room furniture carved by a sultan himself. Visitors wear shoe covers inside to protect the floors, and photography without flash is usually allowed. Some rooms may be closed for periodic restoration; the audio guide still covers them.

The gardens, the bathing pavilions and the Bosphorus terrace

Many people searching for Beylerbeyi Palace opening hours are surprised by how much of the visit is outdoors. The palace sits on a narrow strip between the water and a steep hillside, so the gardens climb in terraces behind it, planted with magnolias, plane trees and seasonal flowers, with a small pool and a stable building on the upper level. From the terraces you look across the Bosphorus to Ortaköy and the European shore, with the bridge soaring overhead.

Along the quay are two small domed bathing pavilions, one for the harem and one for the selamlık, built so that the household could enjoy the sea in privacy. The waterfront is also the best spot for photographs of the facade. The palace café in the garden serves tea, coffee and snacks with a view, and is a good place to finish the visit.

Getting there and the practical visit

How to get to Beylerbeyi Palace is one of the most common questions our Istanbul team hears. From the European side, take a ferry from Eminönü, Karaköy or Beşiktaş to Üsküdar, then a bus or taxi along the shore road for about ten minutes; the Marmaray rail line also stops at Üsküdar. From Kadıköy the shore buses run north through Üsküdar to Beylerbeyi, and the stop is a short walk from the gate. The palace opens at 09:00 and is closed on Mondays, so plan accordingly.

Download the audio guide before you arrive, as there is no Wi-Fi at the palace; the link arrives with your e-ticket and works offline once loaded. Bring earphones, dress respectfully and keep a photo ID with you. Mornings and late afternoons are the quietest; combining the visit with a walk along the Üsküdar waterfront or an evening on Çamlıca Hill makes an excellent half day on the Asian side.