^#smrgSAHAF Palais de Hollande te Istanbul: The Embassy and Envoys of the Netherlands since 1612 - 2002

Anyone walking along the Istiklal Caddesi in Istanbul on a sunny afternoon, entering the premises of the Dutch Consulate General, would imagine to be in an oasis of peace. At a nineteenth century courtyard paved with Dutch clinkers stands the ‘Palais de Hollande'. The name harks back to four hundred years of history of the building as the residence for the Dutch diplomats in Turkey.

The Palais de Hollande was built in 1858 on the spot where Cornelis Haga, the first Dutch envoy to the Ottoman Empire, took up residence in 1612. This marks the beginning of diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Netherlands. Thanks to Jacobus Colyer, one of his successors, the State of the Netherlands later acquired ownership of the Palais de Hollande in Istanbul.

This book focuses primarily on the experiences of Dutch diplomats and their efforts to establish an august, permanent residence in Istanbul. The historian Marlies Hoenkamp - Mazgon, while paying proper attention to the serious political ramifications of diplomacy, also dwells on the quirks and churlishness of proud Dutch envoys and their vivacious wives, on palace intrigues and ill - fated love affairs. Many astonishingly beautiful works of art are reproduced in this book to add virtual flavour to the history of relations between Turkey and the Netherlands.