Did you ever visit a palace? You did? But did you ever share Tea Time with one of your close friends in the palace of a Sultan? I visited the Ciragan Palace Kempinski, and it was worth every minute! What an adventure! What a beauty! What an everything!
Sipping a tea and savoring delicious cookies in a palace which overlooks the Bosphorus and whose history starts about 160 years ago is not something which happens every day and it will surely leave an impressive mark on your existence!
When entering the premises, you feel you’re about to penetrate History. Not any History, but the history of a palace which lived a thousand lives, witnessed intrigues, love, treason, treachery, and passion.
Indeed, this palace possesses all the ingredients for the delightful Turkish love drama we all long for; a realistic fairy tale which will carry you away to adventures which are impatiently waiting to be brought to life again.
Nigogayos Balyan and his sons succeeded to achieve the goal and wish of most architects as they were able to design and construct a palace which would impress not only because of its grandiosity.
Indeed, their creation tells their love towards the ingenuity of marble in all its splendor, the mysterious and mesmerizing power of the Bosphorus, the need of details, the fascination of infinity and horizons, and the authority of History and its survivors.
It is of utmost importance to visit these places if you are looking to understand the Ottoman Empire, as they have the ability to open your eyes and underline the notion of an Empire, without uttering a word.
The traces that were left through buildings like the Ciragan will emphasize the miraculous and impressive supremacy of creativity, originality, and audacity. That where there’s a will (and loads of money) there’s a way!
It’s a universe where wishes were invented to be fulfilled in every (im)possible and (un)imaginable way, leading to true and timeless breathtaking beauty… and respect! Even the most skeptical among us will be astonished when discovering this palace, which is an absolute must!
