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The “International Symposium: One Hundred Years of the National Palaces" has opened at Dolmabahce Palace, bringing scholars and heritage specialists together for a three-day program dedicated to the story of Türkiye’s palace-museum institutions. The event, organized by the National Palaces Presidency, marks the 100th anniversary of the organization established to safeguard the country’s most significant historical residences.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addressed the symposium with a video message, expressing his hope for a productive program and congratulating the National Palaces Presidency for bringing together experts from 27 countries.
He noted that the Ottoman Empire, which governed a vast geography across three continents for six centuries, had left behind outstanding works of architecture, including mosques, pavilions, religious schools, and palaces that still stand today in their full splendor.
Erdogan said these palaces reflect the high artistic vision achieved by the Ottoman world and continue to house remarkable objects that were gathered through various means over time.
He added that the National Palaces Presidency not only maintains and restores these historic structures but also opens new museums and presents preserved works to the public.
Erdogan congratulated all those involved in organizing the “International Symposium: One Hundred Years of the National Palaces” on its 100th anniversary year and thanked the participating scholars for their contributions, ending his message with well-wishes.
Speaking at the opening session, the president of the National Palaces, Yasin Yildiz said the institution was honored to celebrate its centennial alongside some of the world’s most respected heritage bodies.
He underlined that the palaces under their care “stand not only as world heritage sites but also as symbols of our shared past,” adding that their duty was to preserve these treasures and ensure they meet both visitors and the global public.
Yildiz noted that the years 1924 and 1925 represented a major turning point for Türkiye’s cultural heritage.
As the country adopted a parliamentary system, historical palaces such as Topkapi, Dolmabahce, Beylerbeyi, Yildiz and Edirne, along with various pavilions and mansions, were divided among different institutions. Many of these structures were used for purposes outside the museum and conservation work.
This fragmented system began to shift in January 1925, when the first National Palaces Directorate was founded to safeguard both architectural sites and movable artworks. For decades, only partial restorations and limited visitor access were possible.
A significant transformation came in 1983 with legislative changes that restructured the institution as a palace-museum authority and expanded its restoration and cultural activity programs.
A further evolution took place in 2018, when the National Palaces Presidency became an independent cultural heritage body under the Presidency of the Republic.
Yildiz said this new structure allowed the institution to bring together all palace-museum sites under one roof for the first time since 1924, ensuring a unified system for architectural conservation, garden management, and collection preservation.
He emphasized that long-standing financial and operational challenges had been overcome, explaining that all restoration projects are now funded through the institution’s own resources rather than the public budget.
Highlighting the symbolic value of palace-museum sites, Yildiz said such structures once served as emblems of sovereignty and remain powerful markers of collective identity. Their collections, he added, hold exceptional artistic and financial value, making their long-term sustainability a demanding but essential task.
Professor Sadettin Oktem, Chair of the National Palaces Science and Evaluation Board, delivered the opening speech of the first academic session. He said the centennial offered a moment to reflect on the institution’s mission to protect, interpret, and present these spaces and artworks.
Oktem noted that National Palaces aims both to enrich its own society and to engage international audiences, stressing that “civilizations cannot survive without openness, and openness is achieved through communication and interaction.”
The symposium will continue over the next three days with discussions and expert panels held across Dolmabahce, Topkapi and Yildiz Palaces, tracing the historical, artistic, and administrative development of Türkiye’s national palace heritage.
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