Adile Sultan Palace

Looking down on the Bosphorus from the hills of Kandilli, the Adile Sultan Palace is one of Istanbul’s grandest photoshoot venues. Built by Sultan Abdülaziz for his sister Adile Sultan, the palace adds nobility and depth to every photograph with its chandeliered halls, high ceilings and windows opening onto the Bosphorus.

Towards the end of her life, Adile Sultan donated the palace to become a girls’ school, and for many years the building served as the Kandilli Girls’ High School. Restored after a major fire in 1986, the palace opens its doors again today with its historic character preserved. (It is a different venue from the Adile Sultan Pavilion in Üsküdar; for that one, see our Adile Sultan Pavilion page.)

The halls

The heart of the session is the palace’s halls. Ornate ceilings, crystal chandeliers, polished wooden floors and arched windows with floor-length curtains make a perfect stage for fairytale, classic photographs, with the train of the gown spreading across the floor. The natural light through the windows works beautifully in colour and in black and white.

Staircases, terraces and the Bosphorus

After the halls we head outside. Marble staircases with wrought-iron railings, columned balconies and terraces looking down on the Bosphorus make up the airiest part of the session. Behind you, the shores of the Bosphorus and the silhouette of the bridge: the grandeur of the palace and the view of Istanbul meet in a single frame.

Highlights

• Grand halls with crystal chandeliers and high ceilings
• Arched windows opening onto the Bosphorus and soft natural light
• Marble staircases with wrought-iron railings and columned balconies
• Terraces with views of the Bosphorus and the bridge

Photographer’s note

Sessions at the Adile Sultan Palace are planned according to the venue’s permission and availability; we book the date and time together in advance. We plan the moves between the halls and the terraces around the flow of the day, capturing both the grandeur of the interiors and the Bosphorus view in one session. See our packages, and for timing, our article on how long a wedding photoshoot takes.