Palaces, Istanbul

The palace and the botanical garden in Balchik, joined in an architectural and park complex, are a piece of heaven on earth and a must-see tourist attraction on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The complex appeared as a summer residence of the Romanian queen Maria (1875-1938). The visitors to the palace and the botanical garden are especially interested in the chapel “Stella Maris”, the “Alley of wine”, the “Alley of ages”, the “Hanging terraces”, the tomb of Queen Maria, the “Garden of Allah”, the “English courthouse” garden, the “Garden of the cross-shaped water mirror”, the “Palace bridge and the boat garage”, the “Bridge of sighs”, the old mill, the “Silver well” and the numerous archaeological artifacts from antiquity and the Middle Ages. The palace is supplied with water from the springs “Byal Kladenets” and “Chatal chesma”. The villa where once the queen lived houses a museum exhibition, which displays her personal belongings, photographs and documents, as well as a collection of original paintings and icons; antique pottery found during archaeological excavations of Thracian mounds near Balchik and Revival Period weaponry. The hall that once served as the residence’s library is now a gallery. It displays paintings of Bulgarian and foreign artists. http://dobrudzha.com/en/57.html

The city, which was founded in the 4th century BC, has remnants of Helen, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman periods. Kadifekale is on a hill 186 meters high south of the city. It is reported that Amazon women who lived in Kadifekale, formerly "Pagos", descended from the foothills of the mountain and continued their dominance here for many years. http://www.izmirkulturturizm.gov.tr/TR,77369/kadifekale.html

The Art Museum of Craiova is located in Jean Mihail palace – built in late XIX century https://romaniadacia.wordpress.com/2013/08/13/art-museum-in-craiova-jean-mihail-palace/

National Garden is a marvelous park, open to the public from sunrise to sunset, located in the heart of Athens, just behind the Greek Parliament. What were once, the Old Palace and the Royal Garden, the getaway of Queen Amalia and King Otto, is now a delightful, shady refuge for Athenians and visitors during the hot summer months. http://www.thisisathens.org/explore/venues-attractions/12-attractions/national-garden-zappeion/

This remarkable construction (1906-1925), built in flamboyant neogothic style, stands partly on the ruins of a medieval royal court mentioned in documents dating from 1434. Today, the 365-room palace houses the Gheorghe Asachi Library and four of the city's museums: the Moldavian History Museum, the Ethnographic Museum, the Museum of Art and the Museum of Science and Technology http://romaniatourism.com/iasi.html#museums

The Art Museum of Cluj-Napoca is a public institution of a culture whose mission is to preserve, research and put forward the real and virtual patrimony of Romanian and universal art. With a collection of over 12,000 paintings, sculptures, graphic arts and decorative pieces, it is considered one of the most important museums in Romania. Founded as an institution in 1951, the museum has been operating since 1956 in the Banffy Palace – a baroque building which was built based on the plans of the architect J.E. Blaumann during the years 1774-1785, its destination being that of residence for the governor of Transylvania. It is the most important baroque edifice in Cluj-Napoca and one of reference for the 18th-century Romanian architecture. A series of sculptures with remarkable artistic value made by Anton Schuchbauer were added to the building in order to complete its stone architectural decorations. http://www.visitclujnapoca.ro/en/atractii-turistice/muzee/the-art-museum-of-clujnapoca.html

The Roman-Catholic Episcopacy Palace is one of the most representative Baroque buildings in Timişoara. http://www.timisoara-info.ro/en/sightseeing/historical-quarters/cetate/tours/240-palatul-episcopiei-romano-catolice.html

The Cultural Palace (Palatul Cultural) is an early 20th century diverse (multi) architectural style palace located in the city of Arad, Romania. The architecture of the building contains the Classic Italian Renaissance, Romanian Baroque, and French Gothic, elements and designs. The inspiration for some of the palace’s design came from the 15th century Corvin Castle, of Hunedoara, Romania. The idea for the Cultural Palace came from the Kölcsey Cultural Association (Society) of Arad. The Kölcsey Cultural Association of Arad was a literary, historical association that operated in Arad from 1881-1948, and again in 1989. The association was formed by and consisted of a committee of Hungarian’s that were living in Arad. They are credited for preserving much of Arad’s culture and history. https://roamingromania.com/arad-culture-palace/

The Administrative Palace of Arad is a building built between 1872-1875, which today houses the Arad City Hall. Architectural gem, shaped in "U", with 90 rooms, a true "Palazzo del Municipio", the building reflects the possibilities and also the willingness of citizens to keep up with European modernization. http://www.uvisitromania.com/tourist-attractions/arad/the-administrative-palace-id533

The Cenad Palace (Palatul Cenad) is a three-story, 19th century, eclectic, neo-classical, architectural style palace located in the city of Arad, Romania. The palace was constructed with the sole purpose of functioning as the headquarters for Arad’s Railway Company. Funding for the palace was provided by the very wealthy and aristocratic Count Želenski Robert. The Cenad Palace has an imposing presence in the Arad center. It is surrounded by many other eclectic and neo-classical style buildings which were Arad’s predominant architectural styles in the era of the late 19th century. The palace is considered and listed as one of Romania’s Historical Monuments. The palace is shaped like an L and contains two spectacular towers on the front left and front right corners. There are four separate entrance gates which lead inside the building. The palace’s courtyard contains two dazzling 19th-century gas chandeliers which have been well preserved for many decades. https://roamingromania.com/cenad-palace-arad/

The Neumann Palace (Palatul Neumann) is a two-story, 19th century, eclectic architectural style palace that’s located in the city center of Arad, Romania. The palace was founded by and built to be, the living quarters for the Jewish, Neumann family, which emigrated to Arad from Vienna in the mid-19th century. The Neumann family went on to become one of the most influential, wealthy, and aristocratic families in all of Romania at the end of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century. The Neumann’s amassed great fortunes by owning many factories, stadiums, schools, and by controlling the majority of industry in Arad at the time. Some of the family’s most profitable businesses were their spirit and yeast factories, their textile factories, and their steam-powered flour mills. The Neumann family played a significant role in the early development of Arad. Their factories employed and provided salaries to thousands of Arad citizens. The family built schools and stadiums for the community. They also helped fund projects that modernized much of the city’s infrastructure. https://roamingromania.com/neumann-palace-arad/

The Greek castle, which is in the Kasaba village of Yavuzeli province of city of Gaziantep, is at the intersection point of Fırat River and Merzimen stream. It is thought that it is constructed in 840 B. C. during late Hittite period. http://www.kultur.gov.tr/EN,99267/gaziantep.html

THE BLACK EAGLE COMPLEX is probably the most monumental architectural accomplishment in Oradea and in Transylvania, as far as the Secession building style is concerned. The contest to build this architectural complex was won by architects Komor Marcell and Jakab Dezső. http://oradea.travel/en/?p=1913

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Aleppo preserves remnants of more than four millennia of Near Eastern history. The Citadel of Aleppo is a densely layered microcosm of this long and complex history. https://www.wmf.org/project/citadel-aleppo

The Rector’s Palace (Croatian: Knežev dvor) is a palace in the city of Dubrovnik that used to serve as the seat of the Rector of the Republic of Ragusa between the 14th century and 1808. It was also the seat of the Minor Council and the state administration. Furthermore, it housed an armoury, the powder magazine, the watch house and a prison. The rector’s palace was built in the Gothic style, but it also has Renaissance and Baroque elements, harmoniously combining these elements. Originally it was a site of a defence building in the early Middle Ages. It was destroyed by a fire in 1435 and the town decided to build a new palace. The job was offered to the master-builder Onofrio della Cava of Naples, who had previously built the aqueduct. It became a Gothic building with ornaments sculpted by Pietro di Martino of Milan. A gunpowder explosion badly damaged the building in 1463. The renewal was offered to the architect Michelozzo of Florence. But he was rejected in 1464 because his plans went too much in the style of the Renaissance. Other builders continued the work. The capitals of the porch were reshaped in Renaissance style probably by Salvi di Michele of Florence. He continued the reconstruction from 1467 on. The building suffered damages from the earthquake of 1520 and again in 1667. Reconstruction was in Baroque style. A flight of stairs and a bell were added in the atrium. In 1638 the Senate erected a monument to Miho Pracat (by Pietro Giacometti of Recanati), a rich shipowner from Lopud, who had bequeathed his wealth to Dubrovnik. https://www.godubrovnik.guide/dubrovnikthingstodo/rectors-palace/

The Sponza Palace (Croatian: Palača Sponza), also called Divona (from dogana, customs), is a 16th­century palace in Dubrovnik, Croatia. Its name is derived from the Latin word “spongia”, the spot where rainwater was collected. The rectangular building with an inner courtyard was built in a mixed Gothic and Renaissance style between 1516 and 1522 by Paskoje Miličević Mihov. The loggia and sculptures were crafted by the brothers Andrijić and other stonecutters. The palace has served a variety of public functions, including as a customs office and bonded warehouse, mint, armoury, treasury, bank and school. It became the cultural center of the Republic of Ragusa with the establishment of the Academia dei Concordi, a literary academy, in the 16th century. It survived the 1667 earthquake without damage. The palace’s atrium served as a trading center and business meeting place. An inscription on an arch testifies to this public function: https://www.godubrovnik.guide/dubrovnikthingstodo/sponza-palace/

The eclectic-style Financial Palace was completed in 1912. Earlier, the plot was occupied by the house of György Komáromi Csipkés, a judge of the city, which hosted the preparatory negotiations of the Treaty of Szatmár in 1711. https://www.budapest.com/hungary/debrecen/sights/financial_palace.en.html?sid=lo2o84r1d855jiat310e3cglb5

Bishop’s Treasury Museum is located in Bishops Palace in an elegant two-storey palace on Sveti Marko Square in Korcula Old Town. The museum is also called Abbey Treasury of St Mark (Opatska Riznica Svetog Marka). The ground floor covers parish office, library, archives and Kitchen exhibition hall. On the first floor, there are exhibits of Treasury hall, while the top floor covers residence of the parish priest. The museum exhibits numerous works of art including some paintings by Blaz Jurjev and Tiepolo. There are also old manuscripts with illuminated codex from the 12th century, alabaster sculptures from the 15th century as well as a statue of Mary Stuart from the 17th century. This is an interesting museum collection worth to visit if you are in Korcula. https://www.korculainfo.com/bishops-treasury/

Korcula Town Museum (Gradski muzej Korcula) is located at St Mark’s Square facing Cathedral Sveti Marko. The Museum is housed in Gabrielis palace that was built in 15th and 16th century. It is 3 storey building with basement and attic. Museum has various collections covering Korcula’s history and culture from Ancient history to nowadays. https://www.korculainfo.com/museums/korcula-museum/

Arneri Palace in Korcula extends from the western edge of the Old Town to Trg Svetog Marka – the main Old Town square (also, known as Pjaca). Built in Venetian Gothic architecture by Arneri family, this elegantly ornamented palace dates from late sixteenth / early seventeenth century. Beside the artistically valuable courtyard (see above photos) the windows and the walls of the palace in the south street are decorated by intricate building and sculpting details. The palace, being among the most beautiful buildings in the town is a well-known town landmark. https://www.korculainfo.com/arneri-palace/

In the 19th century during the period of sailboats Stari Grad marked the development of the shipping industry and naval construction. There is a rich naval collection preserved in Palace Biankini in Stari Grad. The collection was founded by the Centre for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage of the island of Hvar in 1966 and besides documentation on naval construction; it also displays various nautical instruments, paintings of Hvar captains, old nautical charts and literature on navigation. https://www.visit-hvar.com/tours/palace-biankini-and-naval-collection/HV-TR-38

Wherever you go in Lviv, you are inevitably astonished by its inimitable and varied architecture. However, the Potocki Palace, hiding behind the open-worked forged fence on one of the streets that radiate from the main city artery, Svobody Avenue, stands out against the background of majestic ancient buildings, huddling in the downtown. It's an elegant building, whose luxurious forms are reminiscent of French Renaissance castles, is rightly considered to be one of the most interesting and beautiful monuments of architecture in Lviv. In the middle of the 19th century, a park with a small hunting homestead, owned by the noble Polish family Potocki, was located on the modern palace’s place. A legend states that Potocki family owned these lands since the 17th century. In 1860, Count Alfred II Potocki ordered to pull down the mansion and to build a big gala palace on its place. The palace was intended for solemn receptions and high-rank meetings. As long as the count was in fond of exquisite French architecture, he chose the project of the prominent architect from France and hired Polish architect Julian Tsibulsky to adapt and implement it. The customer wasn’t destined to see the palace; he had died before the construction was finished and his son continued to supervise the building process, afterwards. https://discover-ukraine.info/places/western-ukraine/lviv/1290

The building of the former noble casino and now the House of Scientists is one of the Lviv most amazing and perfect architectural structures and is recognized as a valuable neo-baroque monument. The construction was ordered by the studs’ owners club and was carried out by the famous Austrian company Fellner and Helmer, in 1898. They are known for designing such famous buildings like Vienna Observatory and Odessa Opera. Constructing the Lviv casino, the Austrian architects were inspired by the best samples of European palatial architecture and this influence is clearly seen in the luxurious decoration of building’s facades, which are richly adorned with sculptures and stucco work. The entrance is ‘guarded’ by two magnificent atlantes, who hold the first-floor balcony on their mighty shoulders. However, it is its fantastic interiors that make the amazing house in Lviv downtown look like royal palaces of the Old World. The ground floor is occupied by the huge lobby, whose main adornment is a unique oak staircase with carved railings. It is said that it was a wedding gift to a member of the club. The intricately meandering stairs lead to the first floor, where eight luxurious rooms are located: White Room with marble fireplace and black concert grand piano, Red Room, covered with silk and featuring crystal chandeliers, cosy Beige Room and charming Mirror Room with antique furniture, the famous library with delightful gallery and balcony, adorned with stucco work. The green strolling garden and the meeting room are situated there too. https://discover-ukraine.info/places/western-ukraine/lviv/1363

The Lviv Opera House (28 Svobody Square) is an architectural gem of Lviv, built in the Neo-Renaissance style in 1901, and one of the most beautiful theatres in Europe. http://lviv.travel/en/index/what_to_do/architecturelviv/historicalplaces/~1497/the-opera-house

The history of the National Opera of Ukraine was initiated in 1867, when in Kiev, one of the major administrative centers of the then Russian Empire, after a long petition the government opened a permanent opera troupe. There was a first outside the capitals - Petersburg and Moscow - a musical theater. https://www.opera.com.ua/about/istoriya-teatru

Diocletian Palace is one of the best preserved monuments of the Roman architecture in the world. The Emperor's Palace was built as a combination of a luxury villa - summer house and a Roman military camp (castrum), divided into four parts with two main streets. http://visitsplit.com/en/448/diocletian-palace

Royal Palace – Buda Castle is the historical castle and palace complex of the Hungarian kings in Budapest and was first completed in 1265. The first, Gothic style royal palace was built during the reign of Louis the Great, King Sigismund and King Matthias (from the middle of the 14th century until the end of the 15th). It became a royal residence of European rank, with its Gothic and Renaissance elements. Buda was occupied by the Turks in 1541, and it was only retaken during the Christian siege of Buda in 1686. In WWII, the palace and the Castle District were the last refuges of the Germany Army, which fell under heavy siege from the invading Soviet Army. The palace was again damaged; reconstruction started in the 1950-s. Leading architects of the age have announced that they wanted to return to the 18th-century Baroque form of the palace, and at the same time keep its 19th-century dimensions. They constructed a Baroque façade that never existed before. This was because 20th-century architects saw no value in an eclectic style, although this is now considered to be the most valuable aspect of Budapest’s buildings. https://bookinbudapest.com/royal-palace-buda-castle

The first citizens arrived to Castle Hill in the 13th century after the Mongolian invasion, seeking protection in the hills of Buda. The first royal castle was built around this time. The golden age of Castle Hill was in the 15th century, following the marriage of King Matthias Corvinus and Beatrix of Naples in 1476. http://visitbudapest.travel/guide/budapest-attractions/buda-castle-hill/

Located close to the center of the city, the Alexandria National Museum nicely sums up the history of Alexandria in the three floors of the now renovated Italianate style Al-Saad Bassili Pasha Palace. http://www.egypt.travel/attractions/alexandria-national-museum/

Lubomirski Summer Palace in Rzeszów is one of the most valuable architectural city preserved to our times. Located in close proximity to the Castle of the Lubomirski, over the centuries, it has undergone many reconstructions. He did not keep their original architectural garments, as well as the baroque gardens that stretched around. Despite this, the testimony of a former glory still patronage of the Lubomirski family, then owners latifundium. Currently, the Summer Palace of Lubomirski houses the seat of the Regional Medical Chamber. Some rooms on the second floor are for rent. The basements described earlier were adapted as restaurant and catering facilities. http://www.rzeszow.pl/miasto-rzeszow/historia/zabytki-rzeszowa/palac-letni-lubomirskich

The traces of Roman building activities have been found in the foundation of the castle. Its oldest parts are the lower section of the tower castle, the so-called runaway corridor dating from the XIV. century, as well as the adjacent cross-vaulted hall. https://www.budapest.com/cities_in_hungary/gyor/sights/bishops_castle_and_episcopal_palace.en.html

Zagreb Cathedral was formerly known as St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Today, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and to kings Saint Stephen and Saint Ladislaus. Once you get to Kaptol Square you will see it is dominated by Zagreb cathedral which has been there since the 11th century. The Archbishop’s Palace encloses it from three sides, and because of its twin 108 meters (354 ft) high spires, it is the tallest building in Croatia. It literally soars over the city. The Zagreb Cathedral must be seen and its sacristy is of great architectural value. What you will see today does not represent the original construction. The first Cathedral was damaged during the Tartar attack and a great fire in the 13th century. Finally, it was severely damaged by the 1880 earthquake and was restored in the Neo-Gothic style by Hermann Bollé, the cathedral you see today. https://www.visitzagreb.hr/zagreb/zagreb-cathedral/

Historical sources mention Rector´s Palace in Zadar as soon as the 13th century. From that time until today the edifice has gone through many changes including the last reconstruction and the opening on February 10th 2017. https://www.zadar.travel/en/city-guide/museums/22-12-2010/zadar-city-museum#.Wk4gx1T1VsM