Dolmabahce was built between 1843 and 1856, when the court left Topkapi for a palace designed to look European. The scale is the point: 285 rooms, 46 halls, and a ceremonial hall whose chandelier weighs four and a half tonnes.
The interior is largely Baroque and Rococo, with fourteen tonnes of gold used on the ceilings. The crystal staircase, with balusters of Baccarat glass, is the detail most visitors remember.
Ataturk died here in 1938, and the clocks in his room are still stopped at 09:05. Tickets cover either the Selamlik or the whole palace; guided visits only, and the palace is closed on Mondays.
From Hotel Sultania it is a tram ride to Kabatas, around thirty minutes in total.
Category:
History