Yıldız Imperial Tile Factory was established in the early 1890s in the garden of Yıldız Palace at the command of Sultan Abdülhamid II (1876-1909) to revive the traditional Turkish art of porcelain and tile making. The factory was severally damaged by the earthquake of 1894 and in the same year, it was rebuilt by Italian architect Raimondo D’Aronco.

Founded as a royal enterprise like its peers in Europe, the factory aimed to meet the needs of the palaces for porcelain ware and at the same time to earn an international reputation for beautiful objects that would be associated with the Ottomans and Sultan Abdülhamid II.

The products of the Yıldız Factory ranged from large-sized decorative vases to tableware, and from coffee services to calligraphy sets. This porcelain ware was used primarily in the decoration of newly-built palaces, kiosks, and pavilions, and some special pieces were given to foreign statesmen as presents. On each product, the factory’s original emblem of crescent and star was embossed. Below the emblem, its production year and the year of factory’s establishment were printed. Naturalistic painted designs on Yıldız porcelain products representing landscapes and the architecture of the period have unique documentary value today.

When Sultan Abdülhamid II was dethroned in 1909, production at the factory was halted but subsequently resumed upon the intervention of Osman Hamdi Bey after its management was assigned to the Imperial Museum Directorate in 1910. The factory continued in operation until the occupation of İstanbul in 1920. In 1959, management of the factory was handed over to Sümerbank and the factory was renamed the “Yıldız Porcelain Industrial Enterprise” and it manufactured tableware, wall panels, and decorative items. Following the privatization of Sümer Holding in 1994, its management was transferred to the TGNA, Directorate of National Palaces in 1995 and to the Presidency of Republic of Turkey, Directorate of National Palaces in 2018.

As a museum-factory, Yıldız Tile and Porcelain Factory produces chinaware in contemporary style while working on projects to make the aesthetics of the past accessible for more people through its products such as wall plates, sugar bowls, vases, coffee and tea sets patterned with traditional designs. These high quality products are on sale at the Yıldız Factory Shop and at National Palaces gift shops.