Beylerbeyi Palace is an Ottoman summer palace on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus, in Üsküdar, directly beside the 15 July Martyrs Bridge. The main building is open as a museum, and you see its rooms on a short visit. This guide gives the official hours and prices, what you can enter, and how it differs from the better-known palaces on the European side.
Beylerbeyi Palace at a glance
- Where: Beylerbeyi, Üsküdar, on the Asian side. Address: Abdullah Ağa Caddesi No. 12.
- Built: 1863–1865 for Sultan Abdülaziz, according to the National Palaces administration. An earlier wooden palace on the site, ordered by Mahmud II, burned down.
- Use: A summer residence and a place to host visiting heads of state. Empress Eugénie of France and Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria-Hungary stayed in 1869.
- Inside: The Mabeyn (reception) and Harem sections, with 24 rooms and 6 halls.
- Closed to visitors: The Yellow Kiosk, Marble Kiosk, Stable Kiosk and Marine Kiosks.
Opening hours and tickets
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Foreign visitors | 800 TL |
| Domestic visitors | 200 TL |
| Discounted (students aged 7–25 with ID) | 100 TL |
| Gardens only | 100 TL |
| Children aged 0–6 | Free |
| Closed | Mondays, New Year’s Day, and the first day of Ramazan Bayramı and Kurban Bayramı |
| Ticket office | Opens 09:00. The page gives both 17:00 and 17:30 as the closing time |
The official page lists no last-entry time, so arrive well before 17:00. It also says thematic tours run when at least three full-fare tickets are bought, and that the Museum Card is valid with listed exceptions. Check the official page or call +90 216 321 93 20 before you go, because lira prices change often and the page carries no update date.
What you see inside
Abdülaziz commissioned a palace in the European manner, and the façade shows it: a white stone front with columns, pediments and carved ornament, with lion statues beside the steps. The interiors keep a more Ottoman character. The administration lists Hereke carpets, Baccarat crystal chandeliers, clocks made at the Haliç Dockyard, Yıldız porcelain vases and floors covered with Egyptian straw matting.
Sultan Abdülhamid II, deposed in 1909, spent the last years of his life here and died in the palace in 1918. The official page puts the stay at six years. Photography rules for the interior are not stated on the page, so ask at the entrance before you take out a camera.
The waterfront and the bridge
The palace stands on the Bosphorus, and the 15 July Martyrs Bridge passes close above its grounds. Looking out from the waterside, you see the bridge’s main span leaving the Asian shore.
Two small sea pavilions stand at the water’s edge. The sea kiosks are closed to visitors, but you can see them from outside.
Beylerbeyi, Dolmabahçe or Yıldız?
Beylerbeyi is smaller and quieter, and it is on the Asian side. If you have time for only one palace, our Yıldız or Dolmabahçe guide compares the two on the European shore. A boat trip shows Beylerbeyi from the water. See the Bosphorus cruise guide for the options. For tickets across the city, read Museum Pass or single tickets first.
Getting there
We have not verified a bus or ferry route for this guide, so we do not give line numbers. The palace is on Abdullah Ağa Caddesi in Beylerbeyi, north of Üsküdar. Enter the address into the current İETT or Şehir Hatları journey planner, or take a taxi from Üsküdar.
Last checked: 29 October 2026. Source: Milli Saraylar, Beylerbeyi Palace (the page is undated, footer © 2023), plus Wikipedia’s article on the palace for the architectural background.
