The final Austro-Hungarian Emperor Karl I during his visit to İstanbul, inspecting the Austro-Hungarian troops at the Training Field (Talimhane) in front of the Artillery Corps Barracks

Becoming allies at the onset of World War I to counter pan-Slavic policies of their common enemy, Russia, The Ottoman State and the Austro-Hungarian Emperor fought together on various fronts from Galicia to Palestine. The Austro-Hungarian Emperor, Karl I and his wife Empress Zita planed to bolster this solidarity with their visit to İstanbul (19-22 May). The guests were welcomed with great enthusiasm by Sultan Mehmed V Reşad, state emissaries and the public at large. Having arrived by train over Bulgaria, the Edirne-Istanbul route of the emperor and his wife was decorated with flags and victory arches; they were accommodated at Dolmabahçe and Yıldız Palaces. The royal couple visited Topkapı Palace, the Archaeological Museum, the Hagia Sophia and Süleymaniye Mosques, participated in ceremonial rites at the Santa Maria Church in Beyoğlu and took part in a cruise along the Bosphorus.