The Past Meets the Present At The Ciragan Palace Kempinski, Istanbul

Royalty comes in many shapes and forms in Istanbul. At the Ciragan Palace Kempinski, two worlds come together in a seamless blend to create an experience that defines Turkish luxury

- Prachi Bhuchar

It is easy to taste the huzun—or shared melancholia for something lost —that one of Turkey’s best loved writers Orhan Pamuk made his own and wrote about extensively. You sense it as you make your way around Istanbul, the murmur and shadow of Constantinople still weaving its way in and out of the grand old-new city. The Bosphorus is a leitmotif for all things past and present, its glittering waters have witnessed the changing of an empire, and its waterways are still used to bridge the identity between Asia and Europe. It is on the banks of this iconic river that the Ciragan Palace Kempinski hotel lies. Part of it basks in the damask colours and ittar scents of a rich, historic past, its architecture aligned to how the sultans once lived; the other part is staccato, modern, almost apartment-like in its exterior but with sudden streams of Ottoman consciousness. Originally built for the sultan in the late nineteeth century, a fire destroyed most of it in 1910 and the palace remained vacant till the early 90s when it was redeveloped by the Kempinski Hotel group. Today, it is part of the Leading Hotels of the World, a group of over 375 luxury hotels across the world. Clearly divided in the modern part and the heritage wing, you can arrive here by car, yacht or chopper. Here are five standout experiences at the hotel.

LAVISH BEGINNINGS