Set in a gorgeous garden where masses of tulips and other flowers bloom in spring, this palatial art nouveau villa was built in 1906 as the summer residence of the hıdiv (khedive or viceroy) of Egypt, Abbas Hilmi II. Set atop a hill on the most dramatic promontory on the Bosphorus, it now functions as a restaurant, cafe and reception centre. Visits during the İstanbul Tulip Festival in April are highly recommended.

The khedives maintained close ties with the Ottoman Empire and many spent summers in İstanbul to escape the debilitating Egyptian heat. This villa functioned as one of their summer residences until the 1930s.

The villa is a 20-minute walk from the ferry dock. Head left (north) up Halide Edip Adivar Caddesi and turn right into the second street, Kafadar Sokak. Turn left into Hacı Muhittin Sokağı and walk up the hill until you come to a fork in the road. Take the left fork and follow the 'Hadiv Kasrı' signs to the villa's car park and garden.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

2. Sakıp Sabancı Museum

0.95 MILES

Located in the wealthy suburb of Emirgan, this museum has a permanent collection showcasing Ottoman manuscripts and calligraphy, but is best known for its…

3. Zarif Mustafa Paşa Yalı

0.97 MILES

Built in the early 19th century by the official coffee-maker to Sultan Mahmut II. Look for the upstairs salon, which juts out over the water and is…

4. Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Yalı

1.07 MILES

Extensively damaged in 2018 when an out-of-control Maltese-flagged tanker crashed into it, this 18th-century yalı just north of Anadolu Hisarı was built…

5. Ahmed Afif Paşa Yalı

1.1 MILES

This frilly white yalı (seafront mansion) built in the late 19th century was designed by Alexandre Vallaury, architect of the Pera Palas Hotel in Beyoğlu.

7. Tophane Müşiri Zeki Paşa Yalı

1.34 MILES

Almost directly under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge on the European shore is this huge stone four-storey mansion, built in the early 20th century for a…

8. Borusan Contemporary

1.41 MILES

Housed in an eccentric-looking turreted building known locally as the Perili Köşk (Haunted Mansion), this cultural centre tucked under the western…