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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:Visby Cathedral (also known as St. Mary’s Church) is the only survived medieval church in Visby. It was originally built for German merchants and inaugurated in 1225. Around the year 1350 the church was enlarged and converted into a basilica. The two-storey magazine was also added then above the nave as a warehouse for merchants.
Following the Reformation, the church was transformed into a parish church for the town of Visby. All other churches were abandoned. Shortly after the Reformation, in 1572, Gotland was made into its own Diocese, and the church designated its cathedral.
There is not much left of the original interior. The font is made of local red marble in the 13th century. The pulpit was made in Lübeck in 1684. There are 400 graves under the church floor.