Khedive Palace
Encyclopedia
The Khedive Palace or Çubuklu Palace, Çubuklu Summer Palace, (Çubuklu Sarayı); Hidiv Mansion; located on the Asian side of the Bosporus
in Istanbul
, Turkey
, was a former residence of Khedive
Abbas II
of Egypt
and Sudan
. The name of the residence is alternatively rendered in English
as the Khedive Pavilion or the Khedive Mansion.
(reigned 1892-1914) was the last Khedive
of Egypt
and Sudan
. Unlike his predecessors, Abbas II sought co-operative relations with the Ottoman Empire
, whose sovereignty over Egypt had effectively been rendered purely theoretical ever since Muhammad Ali
's seizure of power in 1805. Abbas saw this as a potential means of undermining the British
occupation of Egypt and Sudan. As part of his efforts at improving relations with the Ottoman Porte, Abbas made several visits to the Ottoman capital Istanbul
, and commissioned Italian
architect Antonio Lasciac
(1856-1946) assisted by Delfo Seminati, to build a summer residence at the Bosporus
..
The palace, completed in 1907, was designed in the Art Nouveau
style, mainly inspired by Italian villa
s of the Renaissance
era, incorporating characteristics and details of neo-classical Ottoman architecture.
The palace stands on a hilltop within a large grove
of some 270 acre (109.3 ha) above the Çubuklu neighborhood in the Beykoz
district, overlooking the Istanbul Strait
.
Surrounded by marble terraces, the three-storey building's east front is square, and the south and northwest sides are crescent-shaped. A unique feature of the structure is a high tower. A monumental fountain at the main entrance rises all the way to the roof. In the surroundings of the residence, there are other fine fountains and pools. The rose garden of the residence is the largest in Istanbul.
At the ground floor of the 1000 m² (10,763.9 sq ft) palace, several rooms and halls encircle a central hall, which helps connect them with each other. A large hall at the ground level has a fire place. At the upper floor, two big bedrooms exist. The terrace on top of the building is accessible also by a historic steam-operated elevator. The building is covered from floor to ceiling in stained glass
.
The interior is decorated with neo-classical, neo-Islam
ic and neo-Ottoman features. The capitals of the marble pillars, walls and ceilings are embroidered with figures of flowers, fruit and hunting animals reflecting the effects of European architecture. The outer gate of the building is completely depicted with gilded flower figures.
Abbas' unofficial and secret second wife, Cavidan Hanım
(Lady Djavidan or originally Hungarian
May Countess Torok von Szendro), claims in her memoirs "Harem" that she decided in all phases of the palace's creation from scratch to the selection of the elements for the interior design. She also assigned the layout of the palace gardens, including the re-planted trees, rose garden and the winding footpaths in the woods.
An identical copy of the palace was built on the shore of the River Nile
in Egypt.
, the founder and first President of the Turkish Republic, the City of Istanbul purchased the palace in 1937. However, it remained neglected until the 1980s.
The Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey (TTOK) signed an agreement in 1979 with the Municipality of Istanbul to restore and manage some Ottoman imperial parks and historic sites in Istanbul for tourism. Within this framework, the institution, under its director general Çelik Gülersoy
, restored the neglected palace within the next two years. In 1984, the Khedive Palace opened to the public.
The inner halls were used as a restaurant, the upper levels as a hotel, and the marble hall and gardens surrounding the residence as cafés. The residence can host meetings of up to 1000 people in summer, with cocktail facilities of up to 1500. In winter months, it can accommodate up to 450 people and cocktails for 700.
The premises were managed by the TTOK for ten years, and were then taken over in 1994 by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, because the Municipality did not renew its agreement with the TTOK. The hotel facility is now closed.
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, was a former residence of Khedive
Khedive
The term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
Abbas II
Abbas II of Egypt
HH Abbas II Hilmi Bey was the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan .-Early life:...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. The name of the residence is alternatively rendered in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as the Khedive Pavilion or the Khedive Mansion.
History
Abbas IIAbbas II of Egypt
HH Abbas II Hilmi Bey was the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan .-Early life:...
(reigned 1892-1914) was the last Khedive
Khedive
The term Khedive is a title largely equivalent to the English word viceroy. It was first used, without official recognition, by Muhammad Ali Pasha , the Wāli of Egypt and Sudan, and vassal of the Ottoman Empire...
of Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Unlike his predecessors, Abbas II sought co-operative relations with the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, whose sovereignty over Egypt had effectively been rendered purely theoretical ever since Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali of Egypt
Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Mas'ud ibn Agha was a commander in the Ottoman army, who became Wāli, and self-declared Khedive of Egypt and Sudan...
's seizure of power in 1805. Abbas saw this as a potential means of undermining the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
occupation of Egypt and Sudan. As part of his efforts at improving relations with the Ottoman Porte, Abbas made several visits to the Ottoman capital Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, and commissioned Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
architect Antonio Lasciac
Antonio Lasciac
Antonio Lasciac was an Italian architect, engineer, poet as well as musician.Lasciac borned to Peter Laščak and to mother Jožefa Trampuš in Friulian fourth Podturn in Gorica 21st in September 1856...
(1856-1946) assisted by Delfo Seminati, to build a summer residence at the Bosporus
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
..
The palace, completed in 1907, was designed in the Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
style, mainly inspired by Italian villa
Villa
A villa was originally an ancient Roman upper-class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became small farming compounds, which were increasingly fortified in Late Antiquity,...
s of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
era, incorporating characteristics and details of neo-classical Ottoman architecture.
The palace stands on a hilltop within a large grove
Grove (nature)
A grove is a small group of trees with minimal or no undergrowth, such as a sequoia grove, or a small orchard planted for the cultivation of fruits or nuts...
of some 270 acre (109.3 ha) above the Çubuklu neighborhood in the Beykoz
Beykoz
Beykoz is a district in the suburbs of Istanbul, Turkey at the northern end of the Bosphorus on the Anatolian side. Beykoz includes everything from the streams of Küçüksu and Göksu up to the opening of the Bosphorus into the Black Sea, and the villages in the hinterland as far as the river of Riva...
district, overlooking the Istanbul Strait
Bosporus
The Bosphorus or Bosporus , also known as the Istanbul Strait , is a strait that forms part of the boundary between Europe and Asia. It is one of the Turkish Straits, along with the Dardanelles...
.
Surrounded by marble terraces, the three-storey building's east front is square, and the south and northwest sides are crescent-shaped. A unique feature of the structure is a high tower. A monumental fountain at the main entrance rises all the way to the roof. In the surroundings of the residence, there are other fine fountains and pools. The rose garden of the residence is the largest in Istanbul.
At the ground floor of the 1000 m² (10,763.9 sq ft) palace, several rooms and halls encircle a central hall, which helps connect them with each other. A large hall at the ground level has a fire place. At the upper floor, two big bedrooms exist. The terrace on top of the building is accessible also by a historic steam-operated elevator. The building is covered from floor to ceiling in stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
.
The interior is decorated with neo-classical, neo-Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic and neo-Ottoman features. The capitals of the marble pillars, walls and ceilings are embroidered with figures of flowers, fruit and hunting animals reflecting the effects of European architecture. The outer gate of the building is completely depicted with gilded flower figures.
Abbas' unofficial and secret second wife, Cavidan Hanım
May Torok von Szendro
May Torok von Szendro, , was a Hungarian noble, second spouse of the Khedive Abbas II of Egypt.- Background :...
(Lady Djavidan or originally Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
May Countess Torok von Szendro), claims in her memoirs "Harem" that she decided in all phases of the palace's creation from scratch to the selection of the elements for the interior design. She also assigned the layout of the palace gardens, including the re-planted trees, rose garden and the winding footpaths in the woods.
An identical copy of the palace was built on the shore of the River Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
in Egypt.
Modern use
On the behest of Mustafa Kemal AtatürkMustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
, the founder and first President of the Turkish Republic, the City of Istanbul purchased the palace in 1937. However, it remained neglected until the 1980s.
The Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey (TTOK) signed an agreement in 1979 with the Municipality of Istanbul to restore and manage some Ottoman imperial parks and historic sites in Istanbul for tourism. Within this framework, the institution, under its director general Çelik Gülersoy
Çelik Gülersoy
Çelik Gülersoy was a Turkish lawyer, historical preservationist, writer and poet. He is best remembered for the heritage conservation works he carried out on historical sites during his long-time post as director general of the Touring and Automobile Club of Turkey .He was born in Hakkâri, the...
, restored the neglected palace within the next two years. In 1984, the Khedive Palace opened to the public.
The inner halls were used as a restaurant, the upper levels as a hotel, and the marble hall and gardens surrounding the residence as cafés. The residence can host meetings of up to 1000 people in summer, with cocktail facilities of up to 1500. In winter months, it can accommodate up to 450 people and cocktails for 700.
The premises were managed by the TTOK for ten years, and were then taken over in 1994 by the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, because the Municipality did not renew its agreement with the TTOK. The hotel facility is now closed.