Khedive Palace

Khediv Palace (from Hıdiv Kasrı's website)

We visited Khedive Palace last April in 2013.

Khedive Palace is ("Hıdiv Kasri" as in Turkish) located on the Asian side of  Bosphorus in Istanbul.

The Palace welcomes you in with its big garden. There are a lot of to see as you walk down from the footpath towards to the view of Bosphorus. Playgrounds, walking path for everyone, tea houses, botanic shop, fountains, birds and squirrels  are at this lovely park. No need to mention about the enjoy of looking over Istinye Bay as you have a tour around with children.

Overview of Istinye Bay from Khediv Palace

This western style constructed Ottoman Palace makes you feel like crossing to another world. Just then I hear my daughter calling "Mom, Knight is going to save me from this tower" and my son is saying "Look mom there is a clock tower, I am going to see that" and he runs. Of course my daughter too. I do not worry because I know where to find them, at the playground ;) As children are having fun there, my husband and I have a chance to sit on a bench and start chatting. We wonder about the history of the palace. So we make a search on google :))

Abbas II, who was the last Khedive of Egypt, commissioned the Italian architect Antonio Lasciac to construct a summer residence at this lovely area of Beykoz in 1907. The palace is a very famous and a very good example of that time fashionable "Art Nouvea" architecture style to see in Istanbul. Antonio Lasciac added a splendid high tower to overview the beautiful silhoutte of İstanbul.
As time passes by,  the palace's owner changes often. The city purchases it on behest of Atatürk, the founder and the first President of Turkey. At 1979 it had been restored again. By 1994, the "Municipality of İstanbul" had taken the Khedive Palace over again. Since then it is an open public area and being run by the "Municipality Corporation" called "Beltur A.Ş."in Turkish. (Historic information is a summary from Wikipedi).

As my children played well at the park, the little starving bodies started to make alerrrttss!! But no worry ;))
There are a couple of tea houses placed at different points of the garden. Also there is a restaurant where you can have brunch, open buffet  lunch & dinner. We head towards to a tea house and looked at  the menu.
The menu is a little bit limited :(( Toast, hamburgers, mixed fruit juices, lemonades, coffee and of course Turkish tea ;))
 If you want something for your baby like a soup, you have to ask from the restaurant section, where you can find Turkish kitchen style food. (Brunch cost: 18,5 TL and open buffet lunch/dinner:28,5 TL)

We started to look around inside the palace after our lunch, of course our target was to climb the stairs of the tower!!
There is a gorgeous marble fountain at the main entrance hall of the palace. The ceiling is high up from fountain to roof. There are lots of stained glass all over the palace. From this main hall there are a couple of other entrances towarding to different lounges.
I noticed the elevator. I guess this makes Khedive Palace different from all of the other palaces in Istanbul. However we couldn't use it, as it was locked. We used the steps to get to upper floors.  We found the steps to tower. Unfortunately, it was also closed because of restoration!! ( As they told me so) I was upset ;(( my son was so willing to see the view from the tower.

Transportation:

• By bus: Take the buses driving to Beykoz. Get down at Kanlıca stop. Follow the signs of Khedive Palace, after 5-10 minutes of walk you will reach to palace.
• By private vehicle: Drive towards to Beykoz from the Bosphorus coastal road, at Kanlıca you will notice the signs of showing the route to Khedive Palace.  (There is "Ispark" for parking)
• By sea: At the European side there are ferries from Yeniköy to Beykoz. After then take the bus to Kanlıca.

  

  the ferry from Yenikoy

For your information, in case if you need a cab, the securities call one to Khedive Palace.

Entrance fee:

There is no entrance fee.

Only fee will be given for parking. 

Must know before you go:

• The palace's garden is decorated by rose gardens, fountains and flowers all around. Especially visit the place at April & May term. By that time all the gardens at Bosphorus hills are donated by tulips, Judas tree and wistarias. So not that it is a festival time for a photographer (just like me). (You can also take beautiful pictures of your friends or children)

Please do not use private vehicle to reach the park at this very speacial time, because there are a lot of visitors coming from all over Turkey.

tulip garden (from Hıdiv Kasrı's website)

• If your children like to roller skate, skateboard or scooter, take them with you. The walking path is very suitable to skate. It is not rough cobblestone pavement. (For moms using strollers can also have a walk around with their babies)
• Open to public everyday of year. 
• No entrance fee. (Only parking fee)
• There is no souvenier shop sorry! ;((
• There is a botanic shop. Look for tulip onions during April & May especially. You can even find black tulip onion at that time of year.

The address:

Çubuklu Korusu Yolu
No:32 Beykoz/ İstanbul

Phone: 0216 413 9253

I think...this location is a mix spice from everything. A bit Ottoman style, but a bit of Western, there is a bit of history, but a new style service given, a bit of view, a bit of fresh air, little bit running, little bit of joy....

well, must see a little bit.....;))