The beautiful terraced gardens behind Beylerbeyi Palace used to be known as the Gardens of the Cross because of a cross erected here by Constantine the Great. I stood beside the large pool that belonged to the earlier palace on the same site. From Byzantine times onwards numerous magnificent buildings were constructed here, enhancing the beauty of nature with that of architecture. The sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze was blowing, carrying the salty tang of the Bosphorus waves. A group of Turkish and foreign tourists arrived. They had just finished a guided tour of the two parts of the palace - the private harem and the state apartments - and seen the three halls, six reception rooms and some at least of the 26 smaller rooms on the three storeys. They had walked over the rush matting from Egypt that covers the floors of this summer palace, and seen the enormous carpets made in Hereke, kilims, Bohemian crystal chandeliers, French clocks, Yildiz porcelain vases, Chinese and Japanese porcelain, furniture carved with kufi inscriptions, sweeping staircases, richly decorated columns,

tall windows giving a glimpse of the sunny day outside, the mingled sounds of past and present and unidentifiable shadows.

History is concealed in details. I know they visited the Yellow Pavilion beside the large pool, the magnificent Palace Stables befitting the imperial horses, and the enchanting Marble Pavilion with its pool and fountain. Here the guide had touched one of the columns and explained that these were real marble whereas those in the palace proper were marezzo marble. It is not hard to imagine one of the visitors asking what the difference was, and the guide replying, perhaps, that real marble is a petrified substance that when touched conveys its penetrating coldness, a property which is infectious because marble is real and alive. Beylerbeyi Palace took its name from Mehmed Pasa, who was Beylerbeyi of Rumelia during the reign of Murad III (1574-1595).

The photograph I took that day shows the stately and ornate Beylerbeyi Palace against the background of the Bosphorus. Beneath the place where I stood lies the tunnel through which the old road used to pass, and in the centre of the tunnel is a fountain inscribed with the name of Sultan Mahmud II. The tranquil and evocative atmosphere is what I remember best about Beylerbeyi Palace, through whose rooms and gardens sultans once strolled.

* Müge Iplikçi is a short story writer