In the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter stands a beautiful nineteenth-century mansion with a story that sounds like it belongs in a gothic novel.
At 716 Dauphine Street, the Gardette-LePrete House became known in folklore as the Sultan’s Palace, supposedly the home of a mysterious Ottoman prince who arrived with servants, women from his brother’s harem, guards and an extraordinary fortune. Then came the party, and the celebrations ended in a massacre.
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FAQs
Was the Sultan’s Palace massacre real?
There is no reliable historical evidence establishing that the famous massacre took place. The story is best treated as New Orleans folklore rather than a documented crime.
When was the Gardette-LePrete House built?
The present mansion at 716 Dauphine Street was built for Joseph Coulon Gardette in 1836.
Who was Jean Baptiste LePrete?
Jean Baptiste LePrete was a nineteenth-century New Orleans merchant and banker who acquired the house in 1839 and remained associated with it for decades.
Where did the Sultan legend come from?
One important earlier version was recorded by Charles Gayarré and concerned a mysterious Turkish stranger who arrived in New Orleans in 1727. A later and more elaborate version was published by Helen Pitkin Schertz in Legends of Louisiana in 1922.
Why is the house called the Sultan’s Palace?
The name comes from the folklore surrounding the supposed Sultan or brother of the Sultan who was said to have lived there. The historical name of the building is the Gardette-LePrete House.
Is the Sultan’s Palace haunted?
There are numerous reports of paranormal experiences associated with the building, but these are personal accounts and do not constitute historical evidence that the alleged massacre occurred.
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