The last palace of the Ottoman Empire, Yıldız Palace, which has witnessed profound historical events, will open to the public on July 19.

A news conference was held to discuss the renovation of the Yıldız Palace complex, originally built during the reign of Sultan Selim III and expanded by Sultan Abdulhamid II to serve as a state palace.

Yasin Yıldız, the president of the National Palaces Administration, emphasized the significance of the palace's opening for Türkiye's historical and cultural heritage. "We announce to both our nation and the world that one of the largest remaining palaces from the Ottoman Empire will soon welcome local and international visitors," he said.

Yıldız highlighted that the palace has been closed to visitors for nearly 100 years. "Since 1924, Yıldız Palace was utilized by various state institutions for different missions, preventing it from being fully opened to the public. Although partial restorations were conducted, they lacked consistency due to differing practices of the managing institutions. In 2015, under the leadership of our president, the scattered structures and grounds of Yıldız Palace, then under eight different institutions, were unified. The initial work started then, and in 2018, after the National Palaces Administration was restructured as a cultural heritage institution under the Presidency, we took over the restoration," he explained.

"This is a historic milestone for Türkiye. After five and a half years of restoration efforts by hundreds of colleagues, we have reached a significant stage. The restoration of the main palace sections is largely complete."

Regarding the entrance fees, Yıldız stated: "Initially, sites under the National Palaces Administration can be visited for free. Currently, we haven't set an entrance fee for this site. However, visitors can always use a museum pass, which is valid for all our sites. We welcome all visitors."

Yıldız also mentioned that the restoration of Edirne Palace, ongoing under the leadership of the National Palaces Scientific Committee since 2022, is expected to be open to the public in the coming years.

Following the news conference, the soon-to-be-opened sections of the palace were introduced to the press.

Historic sections open to public for 1st time

With the attendance of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Yıldız Palace will officially open on July 19 and will welcome visitors starting July 20.

Several sections of Yıldız Palace, which have undergone extensive restoration, conservation and landscaping, including the "Great Mabeyn Pavilion," "Çit Pavilion," "Small Mabeyn Pavilion" and the "Harem Apartments," will be accessible to the public for the first time.

The Mabeyn Pavilion, historically used to host foreign dignitaries and recently for presidential receptions, is among the significant structures to be opened.

The garden, historically known as "Hamid Garden," renowned for its botanical diversity, natural river-like waterway, and landscape design, will also be open to visitors post-inauguration.

Rare photos, manuscripts on display

Other structures being opened for the first time include the Orangery, the hammam, the Fountain of Selim III, the Island Pavilion and the Cihannüma Pavilion.

Artifacts shedding light on Sultan Abdulhamid II's life, personality and leadership, along with one of the largest libraries in Europe and the Middle East, and a carpentry workshop associated with him, will be exhibited. Selected photographs from the Yıldız Albums will also be showcased for the first time to history and art enthusiasts.

The library's rare collection spans various subjects, including military science, geography, philosophy, espionage novels, astronomy, botany and zoology.

Among the manuscripts to be seen for the first time are a divan of poetry by Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, a book by Matrakçı Nasuh describing Suleiman's Iraq campaign, Katip Çelebi's "Cihannüma," and examples of the Quran by renowned calligraphers.

Yıldız Palace complex holds special importance as the last palace of the Ottoman Empire. It took its current form during Sultan Abdulhamid II's reign and served as the administrative center and residence for the Sultan and his family for 33 years.

Following Sultan Abdulhamid II's dethronement in 1909, the palace's significance waned. It was briefly used during Sultan Mehmed VI's reign before closing entirely to the public with the abolition of the Ottoman sultanate in 1922.