Feriye Palaces

The Feriya Palaces, a must see spot in İstanbul, are located right on the coastline of the Bosporus, between Ortaköy and Beşiktaş. The Ottoman palaces on the Çırağan Street were given this name in the past. Today, these valuable palaces are used in education. The Feriye Palaces were built for the Ottoman Dynasty. The first of them was the Dolmabahçe Palace that started to be used in 1856. After 16 years, the Çırağan Palace was built in the same area. These two palaces fell short for the needs of the Ottoman in a short time and some additional buildings were constructed.

These additional buildings which were initiated by some architects from the Balyan family were called the Feriye Palaces. They were also used in a sense of “side buildings”. There are three main buildings in the area by the sea. There is also the handmaidens ward here. It is possible to see some other additional structures on the pathway. In these buildings, the members of the dynasty approved by the Sultan or those who did not have a house for the winter used to stay. These palaces are characterized by their very large sizes.

Today, some parts of the Feriye Palaces are used by Galatasaray University. According to historical sources, Abdülaziz, dethroned by a coup in 1876, moved to the Topkapı Palace, then to the Feriye Palace. Later, he was found dead in this palace which was built upon his orders. Some of the important figures of the Ottoman Dynasty continued to stay here until the caliphate was abolished. The Maritime College was moved here towards the 1930s. Similarly, the Kabataş Boys’ High School moved to some parts of the palace. The part next to the Ortaköy Mosque rather remained unattended. The latest restoration works on the Feriye Palaces was rendered in 2019.