Built at the same time as Dolmabahçe, the Ihlamur is the most intimate of the Ottoman palaces, seen here in photographs by Kat Russell. It takes just five minutes to walk round, but it encapsulates the spirit of the 19th-century palaces and is not to be missed. Nikoğos Balyan, Garabet’s son, was ordered by Abdülmecit to build these two lodges directly below his new Teşvikiye Mosque, and midway between Dolmabahçe and his new barracks at Mecidiyeköy. The Merasim (Ceremonial) Pavilion has a magnificent marble double staircase. Bunches of grapes and oyster shells adorn the fabulously sculpted façade, and mirrors on either side of the domed hallway create an illusion of endless space. – Claire Karaz

In Cornucopia 51, Berrin Torolsan takes us around this less-visited yet stunning pavilion.