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Ciragan Palace Kempinski and Ortakoy Mosque |
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 Let
us begin our Bosphorus journey at the Ciragan Palace on the
European side. In 1871 Sultan
Abdulaziz appointed Palace Architect Sarkis Balyan to build the
palace. The four-year-long construction costing 4 million gold
coins consisted of wooden partitions and ceilings and walls of
marble. The rich decoration was completed with columns that
exemplified superior craftsmanship in stonework. The rooms were
decorated with expensive carpets and furniture detailed in gold
and mother-of-pearl. Like the other Bosphorus palaces. Ciragan
was a place for many important meetings.
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 It’s exterior walls were adorned in colorful marble and
monumental gateways, and a walking bridge links this palace to
the
grounds of Yildiz Palace on the ridge. High walls were built
along the back of the palace that faces the public road.
After a huge fire, the palace was abandoned. Years later, after
extensive restoration the Ciragan was turned into a 5 star hotel.
Just north of Ortakoy there is a beautifully designed mosque on
the shore of the Bosphorus that appears to magically rise from
the water. Ortakoy Camii (Ortakoy Mosque, also known as Mecidiye
Mosque), named after the district, is usually noted to be of the
baroque style, but because the Ottoman adaptation of European
architectural trends shows great variety and originality, it
would be more appropriate to categorize these kinds of buildings
as products of "Ottoman eclecticism." Sultan Abdulmecid
commissioned the mosque in 1853 and appointed as architect
Nigogos Balyan of the Balyan family, who was responsible for
designing many buildings of istanbul. It is an intricately
designed structure that is located in a unique position on the
Bosphorus. Like all mosques built under the command of the
sultans, it is composed of two parts, the harim (the main
worship area) and the hunkar section. The large, high Windows
are placed to capture within the mosque the changing play of
light reflections from the Bosphorus.
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Feriye |
Once a 19th century Ottoman police station, the Feriye
constitutes one of the rare examples of 19th century classical
Ottoman architecture. It was built shortly after the Dolmabahce
and Ciragan palaces, when the Ottoman sultans had moved from
Topkapı Palace to the Bosphorus shores.
The building witnessed a number of important events in Ottoman
times, and itself resembles a small palace with a marble
colonnade on its farade. In 1995 this lovely building was
restored by the Kabataş Boys High School Educational Foundation,
and today houses Feriye Restaurant Located between Beşiktaş and
Ortakoy on the European shore of the strait, the building
commands a magnificent view of the Bosphorus.
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The Marmara Esma Sultan |
 The Marmara Esma Sultan Built in the 18th century for Esma
Sultan, as her personal residence, this magnificent ruin in the
historic
and buzzing Bosphorus neighborhood of Ortakoy is a perfect venue
year round for cocktail prolonges, gala theme dinners, weddings,
banquets and receptions on the brilliant waterway. In 2001, the
interior was reconstructed combining glass and steel, making it
available for winter events. |
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Anatolian Kavak and Lighthouse