Palais de Suède

The Palais de Suède (lit. 'Palace of Sweden', Swedish: Svenska Palatset, Turkish: İsveç Sarayı) is a historic property facing İstiklal Avenue in the Beyoğlu (formerly Pera) neighborhood of Istanbul, Turkey. From 1757 to the 1920s, it has been the seat of diplomatic missions of the Kingdom of Sweden to the Ottoman Empire. Following the latter's abolition in 1922 and subsequent relocation of the Swedish embassy to the new capital of Ankara, the Palais de Suède has served as the Swedish consulate-general in Istanbul, as well as a residence for the ambassador when in town. The building was originally built of wood and was altered repeatedly following episodes of fire and disrepair, and the current structure mostly results from reconstruction in 1869–1871. It was the first Swedish embassy building built on state-owned land abroad, and the oldest extant diplomatic mission of Sweden in the world.