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Beylerbeyi Palace vs Pera Museum

Both are endorsed by professional travelers. On balance, Pera Museum ranks slightly higher than Beylerbeyi Palace. Pera Museum scores 84 with praise from 6 publications like Fodor's, Travel + Leisure and Let's Go.

Beylerbeyi Palace
Beylerbeyi Palace
8 / 10
Abdullah Aga Caddesi, Istanbul, Turkey
From $0 /night
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"Under the bridge on the European shore is the green-and-cream-coloured Balyan Usta Yalı , built in the 1860s by architect Sarkis Balyan." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
2 Stars
"This palace is one of the architectural fantasies of the last sultans."
Fodor's Fodor's
"Like a mini-Dolmabahçe that incorporates a similarly eclectic mix of European and Turkish styles but is smaller, less grandiose, and has more of a personal feel." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
2 Stars
"This former summer palace, clad in marble and surrounded by gardens, was built in 1865 for the Sultan Abdülaziz (1830-1876) and hosted guests such as Empress Eugénie of France." Full review
Afar Magazine Afar Magazine
"Beylerbeyi Palace (Beylerbeyi Sarayı)This beautiful 19th-century palace on the Asian shoreline near the First Bosphorus Bridge served as a summer retreat for sultans and visiting dignitaries." Full review
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Pera Museum
Pera Museum
8 / 10
Mesrutiyet Cad. No.65, Tepebaşı, Istanbul 34443, Turkey
From $0 /night
Fodor's Fodor's
"A small private museum housed in a grand 1893 building (the former Bristol Hotel), the Pera showcases a diverse range of exhibits." Full review
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"Head to this museum to admire works from Suna and İnan Kıraç's splendid collection of paintings featuring Turkish Orientalist themes." Full review
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
"Set in a lavish 19th-century mansion overlooking the Golden Horn, the privately funded museum stages exhibitions such as a show of Kutahya pottery and Orientalist portraits from the late Ottoman era." Full review
Frommer's Frommer's
"Located on five floors in the heart of Old Pera, the Pera Museum houses a small but solid collection of Kütahya ceramics." Full review
Let's Go Let's Go
"The museum’s best-known painting is Osman Hamdi Bey’s strangely funny The Tortoise Trainer, which the Pera bought for $3.5 million in 2004." Full review
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