Ciragan Palace Kempinski

Çırağan Palace Kempinski

Çırağan Palace Kempinski has been the playground of international jet-setters since 1991 with its 31 luxury suites and 310 sumptuous rooms nestled in a storied grand palace and an adjacent modern extension. The 19th-century furniture, exquisite handmade wool carpets, floor-to-ceiling windows and soaring columns give the palace a “1001 Nights” ambiance, while the well-manicured hotel gardens have proven to be the most sought-after place to “tie the knot” for decades. The hotel’s luxury spa is an oasis of tranquillity in which a VIP Turkish hammam, Asian massage therapies and beauty treatments combine with verdant gardens and a giant waterfront pool heated at wintertime.

Enjoy a classical Ottoman feast at Çırağan Palace Kempinski

The in-house fine-dining restaurant Tuğra offers exquisite Turkish cuisine combined with Ottoman era recipes. Tuğra would easily enter any shortlist of “The World’s Most Spectacular Waterfront Restaurants”. Overlooking the glittering waters of the Bosphorus from a classical terrace, Tuğra offers an exemplary menu comprising original recipes sourced out from the historical archives of both Topkapı and Dolmabahçe Palaces.

Amazing facts about the Çırağan Palace

• The history of the Çırağan Palace is dating back to the 19th century. The historic palace was built by the famous Balyan Family, who worked as royal architects for the Ottoman court across generations and designed some of the most prominent landmarks of Istanbul.

• The palace took its name from a former mansion that hosted several torch-lit celebrations or “Çırağan Festivals” in the gardens organized by Fatma Sultan, the wife of Damat Ibrahim Pasha during the opulent Tulip Era in the 17th century. In Persian, the word Çırağan suggests a “special light source”. The word soon became synonymous with the palace.

• Çırağan Palace was used as the Chamber of Deputies of the Ottoman Empire between 1909-1910, before being devastated by a fire that burnt the building to ashes. The grounds of the palace were used as a football pitch for a while and revitalized as an international hotel, after 80 years of neglect. 
  

• From 1930 until 1986, Beşiktaş Football Team used the Palace garden as a stadium.

• In 1991, Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul opened its doors to the curious and appreciative public.