Çırağan Palace

Çırağan Palace
Çırağan Sarayı
Çırağan Palace seen from Bosporus
Alternative names	Çırağan Palace Kempinski
General information
Type	Hotel (former palace)
Location	Beşiktaş
Address	Çırağan Caddesi 32
Town or city	Istanbul
Country	Turkey
Coordinates	41°02′40″N 29°01′00″E / 41.04444°N 29.01667°E / 41.04444; 29.01667Coordinates: 41°02′40″N 29°01′00″E / 41.04444°N 29.01667°E / 41.04444; 29.01667
Current tenants	Kempinski Hotels
Construction started	1863
Completed	1867
Renovated	1991
Design and construction
Architect	Nigoğayos Balyan
Structural engineer	Sarkis Balyan and Hagop Balyan

Çırağan Palace (Turkish: Çırağan Sarayı), a former Ottoman palace, is now a five-star hotel in the Kempinski Hotels chain. It is located on the European shore of the Bosporus, between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy in Istanbul, Turkey.

The Sultan’s Suite, billed at US$35'419,68 per night, is ranked number 14 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012.

The palace, built by Sultan Abdülâziz, was designed by the Armenian palace architect Nigoğayos Balyan and constructed by his sons Sarkis and Hagop Balyan between 1863 and 1867, during a period in which all Ottoman sultans built their own palaces rather than using those of their ancestors; Çırağan Palace is the last example of this tradition. The inner walls and the roof were made of wood, the outer walls of colorful marble. A beautiful marble bridge connects the palace to the Yıldız Palace on the hill behind. A very high garden wall protects the palace from the outer world.

The construction and the interior decoration of the palace continued until 1872. Sultan Abdülâziz did not live long in his magnificent palace - he was found dead inside on May 30, 1876, shortly after he was dethroned. His successor, his nephew Sultan Murad V, moved into Çırağan Palace, but reigned for only 93 days. He was deposed by his brother Abdülhamid II due to alleged mental illness and lived there under house arrest until his death on August 29, 1904.