Description
The Khedive’s Summer Palace (Turkish: Hidiv Kasrı) was comissioned by the Egyptian Khedive, or viceroy, Abbas Hilmi Paşa in 1907 and designed and built by the Italian architect Deflo Seminati. Designed as a villa along Western lines, it draws attention for the marble fountain in the middle of its main entrance. The building plans were drawn in a circle around a pool with access to the various salons made by means of passageways between them.
The Abbas Hilmi Paşa family lived in the villa until 1937, and after it remained empty for a long period. In 1984 it was restored by the Turkish Touring and Automobile Society and for a time served as a hotel. Restored again in 1996 by the Istanbul Greater Municipality, it was opened as a restaurant and cafe. Today it is used as a venue for various social functions, hosting weddings and meetings for different organizations.
