The Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul is an amazing complex that adorns the magnificent Bosphorus. This beautiful example of a building shows tourists how a palace should look like with all its appearance. Everything in it and around the building is elegant and lives up to its name. In Turkish, the word "dolmabahce" means "filled garden." In fact, this palace is replete with oriental luxury and European we alth.
Tourists have the first question when they are in Istanbul: how to get to Dolmabahce Palace? The practice of travelers who have been on excursions shows that this is not difficult to do. In the direction of the palace, there is a high-speed tram T1. Its final stop is called "Kabatash". From there, the road leads to the mosque, which cannot be missed. Further you can see the gates of the palace. Some prefer to travel by ferry, having sailed to the Kabatash pier.
There is another option how to get to Dolmabahce Palace. A funicular runs from Taksim Square, which also has a stop"Kabatash". That is, it is clear for tourists that, regardless of the chosen route, the end point is the stop or the Kabatash pier.
History of the creation of the palace
The bay area used by the navy during Ahmed's reign has been turned into a garden. The Besiktas Palace was built on this territory. Due to frequent fires, it had a dilapidated appearance.
Two centuries later, the 31st Sultan of the Ottoman Empire Abdulmejid chooses the place of the destroyed Besiktas for the construction of a large palace complex. His plans included moving the government out of Topkapı Palace, which had been the imperial residence for four centuries. Abdul-Mejid's brother Abdulaziz became the second ruler to live in this palace. Sultan Abdul-Hamid II left him and ruled the Ottoman Empire from the Yildiz Palace.
The imperial family returned to Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul during the reign of Mehmed V (1909-1918). It was from here that the last Ottoman Sultan Mehmed VI was exiled to Paris. This event was preceded by the abolition of the Sultanate in 1921 by the National Assembly of Turkey. Caliph Abdul-Mejit Efendi remained in the palace until the Caliphate was abolished in 1924. Some of his own paintings still adorn the walls of the monumental structure today.
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was the first President of the Republic of Turkey. He received foreign guests at Dolmabahce Palace during his trips to Istanbul. Between 1927 and 1949 it was used as a presidential officeand the seat of the new republic. In 1952, restoration work was completed in the palace. After that, the palace of the Ottoman sultans - Dolmabahce Palace - became a museum.
Since September 2007, it has housed the official residence of the Prime Minister. The territory today can be accessed through the Treasure Gate. On Tuesday afternoons in the summer, military musicians play in the palace.
Architectural features
In contrast to the authentic Ottoman way of life in the Topkapi Palace, the lifestyle of the Sultan and his family became European in the following centuries, which was reflected in the built complex. The cost of the residence was very high. Construction began in 1843 by architect Karapet Balyan and completed in 1856 by his son Nigogos Balyan. The Armenian Balyan family was known as a dynasty of late Ottoman architects.
The structure of the building was preserved in its original form. The entire complex covers an area of 110,000 m2. On its territory, mixed architectural styles were used: baroque, rococo and neoclassical, which also reflected the traditional Ottoman way of life. The three-story structure, including the basement, has two main entrances and five gates on the seafront.
The photo of the Dolmabahce Palace is presented just above. It is famous for its symmetrical design and decoration. The ceremonial and harem halls of the main building have separate rear gardens protected by high walls.
Palace complex
The palace complex consists of a group of auxiliary buildings anda walled inner palace along a 700 m long waterfront. One of these structures is the glass pavilion overlooking the street. It was originally used by the sultans to view military parades and their subjects. The pavilion functioned as the "eye" of the palace to watch the outside world.
There is also a small gallery built in the 19th century for the Sultan's birds. Separately, there is a plant nursery, small kitchens, the apartment of the chief eunuch and a carpet workshop.
The Treasury Gate (Khazin Kapi) and the Imperial Gate (Kapi Sultanate) are the entrances to the administrative buildings. Along the coast there are five large gates to meet those arriving by water. The tourist entrance to the palace is next to the ornate clock tower.
Tourists can see the inside of the palace accompanied by a guide. A full tour of the palace takes 2 hours. However, travelers do not learn the whole history of Dolmabahce Palace at one time. Also, you will not be able to see all the sights. On Mondays and Thursdays the doors of the complex are closed. Opening hours of Dolmabahce Palace on other days of the week from 9.00 to 16.00.
Palace Museum
This impressive building consists of 285 rooms, 44 small halls, 4 large halls, 5 main staircases and 68 toilets. The total usable area of the three-storey building is 45,000 m2. The outer walls of the structure are made of stone, while the inner walls are made of brick. To decorate this unusual andextravagant building took 14 tons of gold, 6 tons of silver and 131 units of handmade silk carpets. Furniture and decorations were imported from Europe under the leadership of Ambassador to France Ahmed Fethi Pasa. For example, vases from Sevres, silk from Lyon, crystals from Bacarat and candlesticks from the UK, glass from Venice, and chandeliers from Germany.
The palace has an extensive collection of Czech, English and Venetian glass and crystal. The museum houses more than 1,000 chairs and couches in different styles brought from Europe. Each of the 285 rooms has 4 stools and sofas. Some pieces of furniture were specially ordered for Dolmabahce. Others were received as gifts from China, India and Egypt. These furniture sets are displayed in rooms decorated with lavishly painted ceilings and mahogany wood floors. The heating of the palace was initially carried out with the help of ceramic stoves and fireplaces. Later (between 1910 and 1912) electric and central heating systems were installed.
Administrative part
The main tourist attraction is the Dolmabahce Palace Museum, which consists of three main parts: the State Apartments, the Ceremonial Hall and the Harem. In this building for the first time in one building there were women's and men's halves. Usually tours of the palace consist of two parts. First, tourists visit Selamlik - the public wing, and then - the Harem. In the administrative part of the palace, the rooms "facing" to the side of the coast. There are four main halls on two floors, connected by a huge staircase incenter.
Passing through the Secret Garden to the grand Ceremonial Hall on the ground floor, visitors will be overcome by the splendor of the decorations. One of these is a huge Czech Baccarat crystal chandelier with 464 lights. Its weight is approximately 4.5 tons. Prior to the installation of electrical systems in the palace, the lamps were fed with natural gas. The chandelier is a gift from Queen Victoria. The dome, to which the chandelier itself is attached, has a height of 36 m. Dolmabahce Palace has the largest collection of crystal lamps in the world.
In the hall there are also vases made in Sevres. There are four ceramic fireplaces, one in each corner. Crystals hang over them, reflecting different colors every hour of the day. French and Italian specialists were involved in decoration and upholstery of the hall. Some of the furniture was imported from abroad, while others were made locally by craftsmen.
Clerk's Hall
Next to the Ceremonial in the Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus side is another impressive hall - the Clerk. It is also called the Secretariat Room or Ceramic Room.
This room contains the largest painting in the palace, painted in 1873 by the Italian orientalist Stefano Ussi. It illustrates people going to Mecca from Istanbul. This painting was presented by the ruler of Egypt, Ismail Pasha, to Sultan Abdulaziz. Ismail Pasha met Ussi at the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and entrusted him with the task. In addition to her, the palace houses a collection of paintings by Aivazovsky. He wrote them in Istanbul when he was there as a courtierpainter. Very valuable porcelain vases are also stored here.
The monumental crystal staircase in the center is called the imperial staircase. It connects the second floor. The baroque staircase was designed by Nigogos Balyan. Luxuriously decorated, it also reflects the traditional Ottoman style. Baccarat crystals were used in its design. The symmetrical and elegant design of the halls surrounding the staircase is breathtaking.
Hall of Ambassadors
The most luxurious room in the palace is the Syufer Hall. It is also called the embassy. It and the associated red hall were previously used for international meetings with ambassadors and foreign diplomats. This room is designed and decorated symmetrically.
In the hall is the second largest chandelier of the Dolmabahce Palace. The museums of the world do not even know examples of such luxury. Its tall doors, mirrors and fireplaces are in perfect harmony with the delicately decorated ceilings. The Hall of Ambassadors and the small rooms around it were used to receive and entertain foreign guests.
The floor is covered with Hereke carpet, and its area is 120 m22. The Red Room was used by the sultans to receive ambassadors. The room was named after the dominant shade of the curtains, which is also the color of power. Gold jewelery and furniture in red with yellow tints, together with a table in the center, create a very powerful effect. No walls were built in the room. It was skillfully decorated with a real view of Istanbul. Columns hidden behind curtainsconnected by large windows overlooking the Bosphorus.
Harem
The residence, consisting of luxury rooms, covers almost two-thirds of the entire Dolmabahce Palace - Harem. The photo below shows the Blue Hall. In the eastern part of the L-shaped Harem on the embankment, the private retinues of the Sultan, his mother (Walid Sultan) and the family (Harem-i-Hummain) lived. The apartments on the street were "favorites" and concubines. According to the architectural plan, this part of the palace is made in the Neo-Baroque style. It is decorated with European and traditional Turkish patterns. The harem does not stand in a separate place, but is connected to Selamlik by a long corridor. The interiors of this building are significantly inferior in luxury to the views of Selamlik.
The most interesting parts of the Harem are the Blue Hall (Mavi Salon) and the Pink Hall (Pembe Salon). Also, the attention of tourists is attracted by the apartments of the Sultan, Sultan Abdulaziz, Sultan Mehmed Reshad and Ataturk. The Blue Room is named after the color of the furniture and curtains. During religious events, the sultans allowed holidays in these walls for the inhabitants of the Harem and other employees of the palace. The Pink Hall is also named after the shade of the walls. Its windows overlook the Bosphorus. Therefore, it is considered one of the best halls in the palace. In it, the mother of the Sultan (Walid Sultan) repeatedly received guests. Atatürk also used this hall for acquaintances and conversations.
Worth seeing while in Istanbul is the Beylerbey Summer Palace. This residence was commissioned by the Ottoman Sultan Abdulaziz. Beylerbey - a delightful, richest, imperial residencewith a fountain in the main saloon. The building has luxurious rooms decorated with Czech crystal chandeliers and Chinese vases. The palace was often used as a guest house for visiting royal and royal families.
Mosque and Clock Museum
The imperial mosque built by the Sultan is located in the southern part of the Dolmabahce Palace complex in Istanbul. The photo below is a view from the Bosphorus.
Construction was carried out between 1853 and 1855 by the architect Nigogos Balyan. The decoration of the building belongs to the Baroque style. The mosque was used as a naval museum between 1948 and 1962. After restoration in 1966, it was opened to visitors. The structure of the mosque underwent a comprehensive restoration in 2007.
Tourists will also be interested in the Dolmabahce Clock Museum. It is located in the old Inner Treasury building in the harem garden. It presents a selection of exclusive handmade jewelry belonging to the National Watch Collection. After eight years of extensive renovation and maintenance, the museum was reopened to visitors in 2010. Today, 71 watches are presented within its walls. The exhibition also features unusual art works by the masters of the Ottoman Empire.
Ataturk Room
The last person to live and die in Dolmabahce Palace in 1938 was Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk's room, where he died, was used by the sultans in winter as a bedroom. This building has been preserved in its original form. It's decoratedfavorite furniture, paintings and clocks of Ataturk. The simplicity of his room is quite remarkable. He chose the most ordinary room, compared with the more luxurious mansions of the palace.
Visitors may notice that all the clocks inside the palace are set to the same time of 9:05. It was at nine o'clock and five minutes that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who is also the founder of the Republic of Turkey, died. To be more precise, he died on November 10, 1938. This date is familiar to all citizens of Turkey.
