There are several royal kiosks or pavilions in Istanbul. Most of those kiosks were generally built in the 19th century, and used by the sultans as a rest house or a hunting villa. By today, the pavilions have been renovated and opened to public as museums or restaurants set in so lovely gardens and parks.
One of the famous landmarks of the City with its unusual main tower jutting above the treeline is Hidiv Kasri (English: Hidiv Pavilion), see the gallery for more photos of the castle and also inside rooms.
Located on the hills of Cubuklu in Beykoz district on the Asian side of the City. It takes less than half hour by car from my home. One of my favorite places for Sunday brunch:)
This castle was built between 1904-1907 by Italian architect Delfo Seminati as a residence for the last Ottoman Governor of Egypt. The maison set in a large area. At the main entrance there is a monumental fountain, rising all the way to the roof which is covered with stain glass. There are other fountains and also pools surrounding the castle. Several rooms and halls are connected to each other on a circle plan. There is a large hall at the ground level with a fire place. On the upper floors there are two great bedrooms.
The most popular section of the kiosk is the tower because of its magnificent view over the Bosphorus! It's possible to access to the terrace on top with an elevator, or by stairs.
The castle with its stunning architecture is indeed well worth the effort.
It is hard to imagine a life where one of these buildings would be just a rest house. I think it is wonderful that they are now open to the public. I can imagine having brunch there would be such a great experience.
ReplyDeleteDarla