These Former Legendary Palaces Turned into Luxury Hotels-Çiragan Palace Kempinski (Part 5)
Life is like a journey, not only to experience the different scenery along the way but also to experience a different way of life and gain a new perspective on things.
Everyone has a lifestyle they are used to - some enjoy the hustle and bustle of an apartment in the city, others prefer the peace and quiet of a farmhouse in the countryside - but almost everyone is curious about the splendor of a former palace.
Those centuries-old palace buildings around the world not only carry the most glorious art and civilization of a region and era but also represent a certain unattainable but fascinating way of life.
Fortunately, with the change of dynasties and the passage of time, many former palace mansions have been carefully restored and transformed into gorgeous hotels open to the public.
In this post, we share seven top hotels transformed into palaces, from the magnificent suites in Versailles, France, to the aristocratic mansions of Italy in its heyday, to the elegant courtyard in the Summer Palace of Beijing, China. Whether or not you have the opportunity to stay there, it is worthwhile to feel and taste the history, culture, and art contained therein.
In this post, part 5, we will focus on Çiragan Palace Kempinski.
NO.05
Çiragan Palace Kempinski
Istanbul
In 1863, the Ottoman emperor Abdulaziz started the construction of the last Ottoman palace: the Çiragan Palace, on a geomantic treasure land directly across the Bosphorus.
The Çiragan Palace was designed by Armenian architect Nigogayos Balyan and built by his two sons. As a family of architects for generations, the family of nine designers served six generations of sultans and played a significant role in the westernization of Ottoman architecture, leaving behind a large number of architectural masterpieces.
Instead of the traditional Ottoman style of round-arched minarets, the Palace of Çiragan was built based on the splendid, stately, and symmetrical Baroque architecture while retaining the Islamic style of geometric patterns of arched windows, especially the unique Ottoman decoration of stalactites under the exterior windows.
In 1910, a sudden fire destroyed all the braw wooden interiors of the Çiragan Palace, but fortunately, the sturdy facade remained intact.
In 1992, the long-abandoned Çiragan Palace was repaired and expanded, and the Kempinski brand was introduced, transforming it into a member of the Historic Hotels of the World and one of CNN Go's 15 luxury hotels on a global scale.
The new Çiragan Palace removes the luxurious carvings and features historical paintings and dark green marble pillars that set off the elegant palace, making it an intriguing and ancient style.
From the first to the third floor, the huge chandelier quietly tells the glory of the past under the transparent central ceiling.
Around the patio and staircase handrail railings, curved shapes made of glass are installed. Under the sunlight, the glass columns are crystal clear, matching the golden partitions of the interior space, which is breathtaking.
The marble carving on the wall between floors is full of traditional Turkish style. The exquisite handmade carpets in the parlor area give a strong sense of the glory of the past empire and the legacy of history.
The second floor of the palace, facing the strait edge, has been transformed into a traditional Turkish restaurant, facing the endless mountains and the sea, with a level of cuisine and service comparable to that of a starred Michelin restaurant.
Outside the palace and between the new building and the hotel is a large square covering two hectares, with lawned open-air restaurants, swimming pools and cafes scattered throughout, with a restless shuffling stream of world guests until the middle of the night.
Source: Çiragan Palace Kempinski
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