The Yıldız Palace is a complex consisting of multiple structures built at different times. Sultan Abdülmecid initially ordered that the existing buildings in the area be torn down and a new pavilion be erected in their place for his mother Bezmiâlem Vâlide Sultan. Named Kasr-ı Dilküşâ (Heart-opening Pavilion), the pavilion was completed in 1842 and later known as Vâlide Sultan Köşkü (Pavilion of the Queen Mother). Several buildings were added nearby under his successor, Sultan Abdülaziz, namely Çit Kasrı (a building to house visiting dignitaries and hold meetings), Mâbeyin Köşkü (the sultan’s residence and administrative center), Malta Köşkü (a hunting lodge), and Çadır Köşkü (a recreational pavilion). Sultan Abdülhamid II moved out of the Dolmabahçe Palace and settled in the Yıldız Palace, which became both his residence and the site from which he ruled the Empire. Several more buildings were added during his reign, giving the palace complex its current form.

The Yıldız Palace houses several museums and historical sites, including the Yıldız Palace Museum, the Museum of Stage Arts, the İstanbul City Museum, Sultan Abdülhamid’s private bath, the Küçük Mâbeyin bath, and the Yıldız Palace Theater. The Yıldız Palace Museum was opened to the public in 1994 and exhibits photographs from the reign of Sultan Abdülhamid II, some of his personal belongings including his woodworking tools,  and products of the Yıldız Porcelain Factory.