Khedive Palace
A former residence of Egypt's Khedive Abbas II, this Art Nouveau palace sits on a wooded hilltop above the Bosporus. Today it's a public grove with a café-restaurant inside.
The Khedive's Palace was built in the early 1900s as a summer residence for Abbas II, the last Khedive of Egypt and Sudan. Perched on a hill in the Çubuklu neighborhood on Istanbul's Asian side, the palace blends European Art Nouveau details with Ottoman influences. Its white façade and elegant wooden balconies stand out among the surrounding pine groves. After decades of neglect, the building was restored and opened to the public as a park and café. You can wander the sloping gardens, then step inside for coffee or a meal beneath high ceilings and large windows. The terrace offers a sweeping view of the Bosporus and the European shore, especially clear in the morning light. Though not a museum, the palace still carries a whisper of its regal past. It's a low-key place where locals come to escape the city noise, read, or enjoy a slow breakfast.
“For wide Bosporus views from a hilltop terrace while sipping tea inside an early 1900s palace.”
Weekend brunch crowds can be overwhelming; come on a weekday morning for a calm seat by the upper-floor windows.
Good to know
- Is Khedive Palace free to visit?
- Free. Art nouveau hilltop palace in a public grove; interior operates as a café-restaurant
- How long should you spend at Khedive Palace?
- ~1h
- When is the best time to visit Khedive Palace?
- Morning
