Beylerbeyi Palace

This opulently furnished 1865 building was designed by Sarkis Balyan, brother of Nikoğos (architect of Dolmabahçe Palace). It delighted both Sultan Abdül Aziz (r 1861–76), who commissioned it, and the many foreign dignitaries who visited. Its last imperial 'guest' was former Sultan Abdül Hamit II, who spent the last five years of his life under house arrest here. Look for the whimsical marble bathing pavilions by the water's edge; one was for men, the other for women of the harem.