History of Ciragan Palace

Gokce Nacar

Apr 12 1741 read

History of Ciragan Palace

Ciragan Palace, which was known mostly as Kazancıoglu Gardens, is a palace in the 17th century which given as a gift by the III. Ahmed was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire to the vizier İbrahim Pasha. The name (Ciragan) means light in the French language and this name was given by the vizier İbrahim Pasha. The Palace’s interior decorations are inspired by western architecture. They are pretty stylish and striking. Nowadays, the palace hosts many social activities. It hosts press conferences by many presses and public relations agencies. Furthermore, it was used as a football field in 1930. Ciragan Palace was destroyed many times and restored until it became the current architecture. The latest version of Ciragan Palace architecture belongs to Republic Period. The name Ciragan was given to the Tulip Age entertainers, who gave its name to the famous palace.

The palace was decided to be demolished and rebuilt by Sultan II. Mahmud. Classical architecture was given to the wooden palace by demolishing the mosque and school around it. As it is one of the most important structures in history, it adds an important value to the historical identity of Istanbul. For this reason, Ciragan Palace is one of the best places to visit in Istanbul. Nowadays, Ciragan Palace is used as Kempinski Hotel for accomodation. Since it is located in a central location in Istanbul, it is very easy to reach Ciragan Palace by many vehicles and taxis.

Location

Ciragan Palace, which is one of the most valuable buildings of Istanbul is in a place between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy. If you want to have accommodation with a view of the Bosphorus or if you want to make your special days immortal, there are luxury hotels that you can choose from.

Architectural Structure

Ciragan Palace has an architecture that draws attention with its magnificent stance at first sight. On the other hand, it is seen that it was built inspired by many leading architectural styles of history. Approximately 4 million gold was spent to achieve the magnificence of today's Ciragan Palace architecture. In order for the construction of the Ciragan Palace, Ottoman Empire even took money from foreign countries. The decorations of the palace, which were mostly based on western architecture, were made in a certain line. A lot of people who contributed to the architecture of Ciragan Palace tried to find a geometric harmony in the decorations of the palace. A classical style that was used in the exterior architecture of the palace draws attention. The widespread presence of an orientalist style in the interior causes a contrast in terms of interior and exterior architects.

The palace has 4 parts. These are The Temple, The Great Palace of Humayun consisting of the Mother Rooms, Harem Department, Agalar Rooms, and outbuildings made up of various structures. The area in which the palace is located in is 115 meters wide and 664 meters long. It covers a total area of the 76,360-meter square.

The Fire of The Palace

On 20th January 1910, the palace was burned down in 5 hours with a fire which came up in the upper part of the Meclis-i Mebusan Hall and from the central heating chimney at the roof. Abdülhamid the 2nd 's private collection consisting of very valuable antiques and V. Murat's library were also burned and turned to ash. After two months that Meclis-i Mebusan and Ayan moved to Cıragan Palace, the fire which emerged in the palace completely surrounded the palace within a few hours and only four main walls remained standing. It is said that this fire broke out from the electrical contact and the palace burned down due to the inadequacy of the fire brigade.

If you consider about cimn and visiting Istanbul, this palace is one of the best historic places where you can gain a great experience. You can feel those time life-styles by visiting here. The Palace’s view is remarkable and the palace is near the sea. So, you should come here before leaving Istanbul and from here, you can go shopping. After visiting this place, you can wander on the streets of Beşiktaş or Ortaköy as well. When you are wandering on these streets, you can buy amazing souvenirs. Thanks to I Am Istanbul, you can get a lot of information about The Ciragan Palace.