Rising in one of the largest corners of the Golden Horn, Aynalıkavak Pavilion served for centuries as a place where Ottoman sultans made historic decisions and where grand festivities came to life. Shortly after the conquest, this vast garden, enriched by Fatih Sultan Mehmed with pavilions, baths, pools, and exactly 12,000 cypress trees, became one of the empire’s most favored retreats. The pavilion took its name after 1718, when enormous mirrors gifted to Sultan Ahmed III from Venice adorned its halls. With its divanhane extending over the water, ornamented domes, and tiled baths, the palace reflected the brightest face of Tulip Era elegance on the shores of the Golden Horn. Even after surviving fires, rebellions, and great destruction, Aynalıkavak was revived through the careful touches of Abdülhamid I and, especially, Selim III. Known as the place where Selim III secretly planned his reforms and escaped the crowds to breathe, the pavilion still stands today as one of the rare structures on the Golden Horn that whispers the elegance of the past and remains open to visitors.