Ihlamur Pavilion

Overview

The Ihlamur Pavilion is a pair of small palaces in a green valley above Beşiktaş, Istanbul. Sultan Abdülmecid built them between 1849 and 1855 as a place to rest for the day. The richer Ceremonial Pavilion was his own, while the plainer Household Pavilion served his family and retinue. Today both are museum-palaces, set in a garden of trees and pools.

Where the Ihlamur Pavilion stands

The pavilions lie in the Ihlamur Valley, between Beşiktaş, Yıldız and Nişantaşı. The valley takes its name from the linden trees, or ıhlamur, that once shaded it.

Quick facts

• Built: 1849–1855, for Sultan Abdülmecid
• Architect: Nikoğos Balyan
• Good for: 19th-century Ottoman interiors, a garden of trees and pools

The History of the Ihlamur Pavilion

From vineyard to imperial garden

At first, the valley belonged to Hacı Hüseyin Ağa, an official of the Ottoman naval arsenal, who kept vineyards here. In the early 18th century, under Ahmed III, the land became an imperial garden. Later sultans also came here to rest and to practice archery, for example Selim III and Mahmud II. In the 1840s, Abdülmecid received the French poet Lamartine in a small, plain pavilion on this site.

A sultan's day retreat

Then Abdülmecid pulled down the old pavilion. Between 1849 and 1855, the architect Nikoğos Balyan built two new ones, and the sultan named the garden Nüzhetiye. Under Abdülaziz, the garden hosted shows and contests. In 1985, after a long restoration, the pavilions opened as a museum-palace.

What to See at the Ihlamur Pavilion

The Ceremonial Pavilion

The Merasim Köşkü, or Ceremonial Pavilion, was the sultan's own. A curving baroque staircase leads up to its door, and carved flowers and scrolls cover its stone front. Inside, the rooms mix Western decoration with European furniture of the time.

The Household Pavilion

The Maiyet Köşkü, or Household Pavilion, is the plainer of the two. Unlike the Ceremonial Pavilion, it served the sultan's family and retinue. Its walls are finished in colored stucco.

A garden of lindens

Between the two buildings, lawns, pools and old trees fill the valley floor. So even a short visit feels like a step out of the city.

Visiting the Ihlamur Pavilion

How to visit the Ihlamur Pavilion

The pavilions are closed on Mondays. They also close on New Year's Day and on the first day of each religious holiday. We arrange your entry to the Ihlamur Pavilion on a day it is open.

Before you go

Combine the pavilions with a walk in Yıldız Park or a visit to Dolmabahçe Palace, Abdülmecid's great palace on the shore.

Updated: October 30, 2026.

Seeing the Ihlamur Pavilion with Us

Would you like to see where a sultan spent his days? We can add the Ihlamur Pavilion to our Dolmabahçe Palace tour or our Yıldız Palace tour. The pavilion lies between Dolmabahçe and Yıldız; ask us to add it on your palace day.