Dolmabahçe Palace

Stretching for some 600 metres along the European shore of the Bosphorus in Beşiktaş, Dolmabahçe Palace is the grandest palace in Istanbul and the symbol of the late Ottoman Empire's turn towards Europe. Its name means "filled garden", a reminder that the site was once a bay reclaimed from the sea in the seventeenth century and used as a royal park.

History

Sultan Abdülmecid I decided to leave the old-fashioned Topkapı Palace and commissioned a modern residence worthy of a European monarch. Built between 1843 and 1856 by the Armenian-Ottoman architects Garabet Balyan and his son Nigoğos Balyan, the palace mixes Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical features with a traditional Ottoman layout. It covers about 45,000 square metres and contains 285 rooms and 46 halls. Six sultans lived here, and after the founding of the Republic it served as Atatürk's residence in Istanbul. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died in the palace on 10 November 1938 at 09:05, and the clocks in his room still show that time.

What to See

The visit is divided into two main sections. The Selamlık was used for state affairs and official receptions, while the Harem contained the private apartments of the sultan and his family. The ceilings are richly decorated with gold leaf, and the palace holds one of the world's largest collections of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers.

• The Crystal Staircase – a double horseshoe staircase with crystal balusters, one of the most photographed interiors in Istanbul.
• The Ceremonial Hall (Muayede Salonu) – a vast domed hall, 36 metres high, lit by a giant chandelier said to weigh about 4.5 tonnes.
• The Ambassadors' Hall – where foreign envoys were received with silk carpets and Sèvres vases.
• Atatürk's Room – the simple bedroom where the founder of modern Turkey passed away.
• The Painting Museum – Ottoman and European paintings in the former Crown Prince's apartments.
• The Imperial Gate and Clock Tower – ornate gates on the land side and a nineteenth-century clock tower beside the palace.

Visitor Tips

The palace is closed on Mondays. Ticket sales end half an hour before closing, and queues build up quickly in the morning, especially on weekends and in summer, when longer seasonal hours may apply. Photography rules inside the halls can be strict, so follow the staff instructions. Allow at least two hours for the Selamlık and Harem, and keep time for a stroll in the waterfront gardens, where the view across the Bosphorus to Üsküdar is superb.

Dolmabahçe fits perfectly into a Bosphorus-themed Istanbul tour: combine it with a cruise on the strait, a visit to Ortaköy and the Beylerbeyi Palace on the Asian shore. Inca Tour's licensed guides explain the stories of the sultans, the court and the last years of the empire as you walk through these remarkable rooms.