Whether you’re here to dine at Aqua or arriving for your stay at the Four Seasons hotel, falling for the bewitching blush pink marble palace by the Bosphorus is inevitable. Though it sits cheek-by-jowl with one of Europe’s grandest hotels, this former 19th century Ottoman palace, Atik Pasha, holds its own, bringing opulence to the banks of the Bosphorus, and drawing in guests who seek a slice of Ottoman history and character with a fine sprinkling of grandeur.

Atik Pasha was one of a group of several palaces built as secondary residences along the European coast, near the Sultan’s principal summer retreat. The palace, whose renovation has lent great attention to period details, is flanked by two swanky wings sporting an impressive façade. Designed as contemporary interpretations of old civic architecture, the new wings include wooden windows and copper roofing with stone and stucco finishes.