The white marble summer palace on the Asian shore was built in 1865 for Sultan Abdülaziz and later used to house distinguished guests — including, less comfortably, the deposed Sultan Abdülhamid II, who spent the last years of his life here under house arrest. The interior is lavish: French clocks, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, and rooms designed to impress visiting European royalty. Smaller and less visited than Dolmabahçe, which makes it more pleasant.