An imperial Ottoman summer residence built between 1861 and 1865, it is now situated immediately north of the first Bosphorus Bridge.

Beylerbeyi Palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülaziz (1830–1876) and built between 1861 and 1865 as a summer residence and a place to entertain visiting heads of state.

Naser al-Din Shah Qajar of Iran stayed in the palace while he was in Istanbul, back on his way from Exposition Universelle (1889) of France.

The palace looks its most attractive from the Bosphorus, from where its two bathing pavilions, one for the harem (women's only) and the other for the selamlik (men's only), can best be seen.

Running water was popular in Ottoman houses for its pleasant sound and cooling effect in the heat.