Discover Dolmabahce Palace!

Gokce Nacar

Jul 23 1006 read

Discover Dolmabahce Palace!

Dolmabahce Palace Museum is a beautiful structure located on the shores of the Bosphorus in Besiktas. It was the home of the final six Ottoman Sultans, as well as Ataturk, the Turkish Republic's founder. The Dolmabahce palace is built in white marble and has a basic European baroque design with an exotic feel. Between 1843 and 1856, Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861) constructed Dolmabahce Palace over an area of 110,000 square meters. The fact that it was built on the brink of the Bosphorus was seen as proof that the Ottomans had broken the customary link to the past. They used to govern the empire from Topkapi Palace and the Historical Peninsula, as you know.

Dolmabahce Palace

From 1856, when the Ottoman Caliphate was dissolved, Dolmabahce Palace was home to six sultans and the final Ottoman Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi. Between 1927 and 1938, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, studied in the palace in Istanbul and died here on November 10, 1938. As a result, the palace has a special place in the hearts of the Turkish people. Between 1926 until 1984, the palace was partly accessible to protocol and visits, and after 1984, it was finally opened to the public as a museum. Unlike Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace was constructed as an one enormous structure with many pavilions and a vast park around it. On the land side, it was enclosed by high walls. There are two major gates and seven subsidiary gates, as well as five ports on the beach side.

Garabet Balyan, the chief architect, was able to blend Oriental and European elements. Although the lifestyle and etiquette were Oriental, the architectural design was inspired by European palaces. Balyan also blended a variety of architectural styles to create an eclectic design. There are 285 apartments and 46 halls in the Palace. The enormous structure spans 25 hectares (62 acres) of land. Nearly 600 one-of-a-kind artworks and stunningly large Turkish rugs were specifically fashioned for this exquisite court. The palace's equipment met the most advanced technological standards of the time. Gas lighting and water closets were brought from the United Kingdom, while European palaces lacked these amenities at the time. Electricity, a central heating system, and an elevator were all added later.

Dolmabahce Palace Hall

The magnificent Hereke carpet, dazzling crystal stairs to the upper floor, also known as the sultanate ladder, the Sufera Hall where the ambassadors were hosted, the Red Room, and the Zülvecheyn Hall on the upper floor are all housed in the Selamlik Hall, which also houses the mastery in cut glass and mirrors with its crystal chandeliers. You can observe Ataturk's chamber and how all the clocks in the palace were adjusted to 09:05 am, which is the approximate moment he died, while strolling around Medhal Hall. You'll witness the famous Crystal Staircase along the red carpets as you continue your trip. The Ceremonial Hall contains the Palace's most magnificent chandeliers and crystal candelabras. The magnificent décor of the Ceremonial Hall and the ceiling of the Sultan's Chamber in the Harem will undoubtedly captivate you.

Dolmabahce Palace's Harem

The Harem now occupies approximately two-thirds of the beautiful and historically significant Dolmabahce Palace, after formerly being a separate part of Topkapi Palace. There are numerous halls, apartments for the Sultan and Valide Sultan (mother of the Sultan), apartments for the Sultans' wives, their princes until a certain age, and their daughters till marriage age, as well as rooms for other duty ladies, working, resting, and living areas in the Harem portion. Basically, Dolmabahce is one of the most important historical places in Istanbul.