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The Yildiz Palace Theater, where Sultan Abdulhamid II once staged educational plays for members of the court, is soon to reopen its doors to visitors. The 150-year-old venue, currently undergoing restoration, will once again host boutique theatrical performances, as it did in the past.
The Yildiz Palace, one of the iconic 19th-century Ottoman residences closely associated with Sultan Abdulhamid II, is regaining its former glory. A “museum within a museum” is being established inside the venue, which is affiliated with the National Palaces (Milli Saraylar). By the end of the year, the Yildiz complex will house three new institutions: a Carpet Museum composed of 19th-century textiles, a Furniture Museum featuring objects in the palace style, and a Rare Artifacts Museum showcasing exceptional pieces. The most exciting development, however, is the revival of the Yildiz Palace Theater itself.
Scheduled to open for visits in September or October, the historic theater is also expected to host occasional boutique performances. Speaking to Türkiye daily, National Palaces President Yasin Yildiz said, “We place great importance on the palace theater. There are similar examples around the world, but this is the only surviving one in Türkiye.
The Yildiz Palace Theater is a venue built primarily for the sultan’s family and close circle. It can accommodate no more than 20 performers on stage and around 120 audience members. Following its restoration, it will be open to the public, and as in the past, small performances can once again be held.”
Yildiz noted that the Yildiz Palace was opened to the public in July of last year and has since hosted nearly 700,000 visitors. He described the four new museum spaces as a “first-year bonus,” stating: “As you know, in the initial phase last year, eight buildings here were opened to visitors. Now, we are adding four new museums. With each space that opens, we see more clearly that this 19th-century palace is alive in all its layers. The fact that Sultan Abdulhamid II used this place as the administrative center of the state for 33 years offers us a full view of the palace system.”
How will these new museums be furnished? Yildiz explained that the National Palaces institution has an inventory of 300,000 movable items: “Like many institutions in our country, we are very rich in terms of inventory. We have catalogued all 300,000 pieces in our collection. Beyond the items displayed in 19th-century palaces, we have a vast accumulation in our collections. This provides us with a great opportunity to establish new museums. Like everywhere else in the world, we cannot exhibit all items at once. Therefore, we are also making our storage facilities accessible. For instance, some pieces in storage can be seen at the Palace Collections Museum. Now, one of our storage units at Topkapi Palace will also become visitable, hopefully.”
The theater at Yildiz Palace, built in 1889, primarily featured performances by foreign artists. Men and women watched the shows from separate sections, divided by screens.
The venue hosted both traditional performances, such as Karagoz (shadow puppet theater) and orta oyunu (traditional improvised comedy), as well as Western-style plays. A private box was specially reserved for Sultan Abdulhamid II.
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