Küçüksu Pavilion

Küçüksu Pavilion (Turkish: Küçüksu Kasrı), Littlewater Pavilion a.k.a. Göksu (Skywater) Pavilion, is a summer pavilion in Istanbul, Turkey, situated in the Küçüksu neighborhood of Beykoz district on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus between Anadoluhisarı and the Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge.

The pavilion was commissioned by Sultan Abd-ul-Mejid I (1823–1861), and designed by the architects Garabet Amira Balyan and his son Nigoğayos Balyan in the neo-baroque style. Completed in 1857, the structure took the place of a two-storey timber palace built during the reign of Mahmud I (1696–1754).

Nestled along the Bosphorus on Istanbul’s Asian shore, Küçüksu Pavilion is a small yet enchanting palace that embodies the delicate blend of Ottoman and European styles characteristic of the 19th century. Unlike other Ottoman palaces, this intimate structure was designed exclusively for daytime use and recreational activities, with no bedrooms in its original layout.

The building consists of two main stories and a basement on a footprint of 15 x 27 m. The plan of the above floors is in line with the typical Turkish architectural design of houses with a main hall and surrounding rooms.

The interior decorations and arrangements of the pavilion are the work of art of Charles Polycarpe Séchan (1803-1874), the renowned French interior designer and decorator of the Paris Opera. The structure showcases exquisite craftsmanship with elaborate frescoes, European-style paintings, crystal chandeliers, and marble fireplaces from Italy.