Yildiz Chalet Museum in Istanbul

This is one of the most interesting and at the same time ... the least attended museums of Istanbul. This paradox is explained by the fact that Chalet is the museum attached to a museum, because Yildiz Palace where more than one generation of the nobility of Istanbul lived, is now functioning as a museum. Chalet is the museum at the Yildiz museum and also - the palace at the palace...

Generally, in the old days there were two types of palaces in Istanbul - made from stone and wood. Stone castles and palaces were built for wars, city fortifications, treasury storage and other similar important things. For the rest of the nobility and the sultans pavilions were built of wood. First, it was cool in summer in such palaces. it is very important in Istanbul. Secondly, if the palace burned out, it would be rather easy to rebuild it anew. So, many castles were built on the shores of the Bosphorus, the most luxurious of which is Chalet in the palace of Yildiz. The most important guests always rested here. For example, Germany’s Kaiser who stayed in Istanbul for an official visit long before the First World War and his powerful minister Bismarck, the genius of European policy.

Chalet is now a mixture of styles. Its exterior is modern European and interior - complete Turkish rococo. There’s lightness, elegance and simplicity on the one hand and Turkish heaviness and the abundance of gold and splendor on the other. Surprisingly, but Chalet succeeded to combine these two incongruous styles. The most attractive are bedrooms for the grand people decorated with carved wooden furniture made by... Sultan Abdulhamid II! The fact is the ruler of the Ottoman Empire was keen of joinery. To tell the truth, he didn’t decorate bathrooms, they’ve invited skilled workmen, and the carpet for the throne room - the largest in the world - was specially produced for this Chalet.

The interior of Chalet fully depended on the scheduling of the Sultan and the aristocracy that surrounded him. Thus, in Chalet you will see that the courtiers ate first, then washed, washed their feet, after that they were dressed for the audience and only then they went to the Lord of the Sublime Porte.

There is a very entertaining room, all upholstered in cloth. It was made to ensure that no one could hear what the guests were talking about. It was an act of courtesy in their attitude on the part of the Sultan.

Chalet is open from Tuesday to Sunday inclusive, from 10:00 to 17:00. The entrance fee is two lire, this is a little more than $1.