Çırağan Palace, located on the European shore of the Bosporus in Istanbul, was built between 1863 and 1867 by Sultan Abdulaziz. Designed by architect Nigoğayos Balyan and his sons, it was the last palace built by an Ottoman sultan. The structure features wooden interiors, marble exteriors, and a bridge linking it to Yıldız Palace.
After Sultan Abdulaziz’s death, his nephew Sultan Murad V lived there under house arrest until 1904. The palace briefly hosted the Ottoman Parliament in 1909 but was largely destroyed by fire in 1910, leaving only its outer walls.
In 1987, the ruins were restored and transformed into a luxury Kempinski hotel, opening in the early 1990s. Renovated again in 2007, the palace now serves as an upscale hotel and event venue, blending historical charm with modern luxury.
References:Rosenborg Palace was built in the period 1606-34 as Christian IV’s summerhouse just outside the ramparts of Copenhagen. Christian IV was very fond of the palace and often stayed at the castle when he resided in Copenhagen, and it was here that he died in 1648. After his death, the palace passed to his son King Frederik III, who together with his queen, Sophie Amalie, carried out several types of modernisation.
The last king who used the place as a residence was Frederik IV, and around 1720, Rosenborg was abandoned in favor of Frederiksborg Palace.Through the 1700s, considerable art treasures were collected at Rosenborg Castle, among other things items from the estates of deceased royalty and from Christiansborg after the fire there in 1794.
Soon the idea of a museum arose, and that was realised in 1833, which is The Royal Danish Collection’s official year of establishment.