Inside Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul

The Dolmabahçe Palace is one of the most breathtaking royal palaces that ever spread across the world. The ceilings alone required a staggering 14 tons of gold for gilding. The palace stands on the European side of the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey, and reflects the architectural splendor of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire.

The palace was built between 1843 and 1856, creating an unreal building that occupies 45,000 square meters. Its grand design has 46 halls, six hammams (Turkish baths), 68 toilets, and 285 rooms. The pièce de résistance of the palace, the world's largest crystal chandelier, weighs 4.5 tons and illuminates the space with 750 lamps. Sultan Abdülmecid I commissioned this masterpiece as a replacement for its wooden equivalent. 

The palace soon became the administrative hub of the Ottoman Empire. Its unique architecture brings together Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classic and classical Ottoman art movements into an unparalleled masterpiece. Turkey's largest single-block palace today stands as a testament to an empire's demise and a republic's rise. Its lavish interiors can be walked through and its fascinating history can be felt by people.

A Walk Through History: From Empire to Republic

The stunning Dolmabahçe Palace started its trip through the years in 1843. Sultan Abdülmecid I ordered it to replace the medieval Topkapı Palace. He found the old palace outdated compared to European royal palaces. His decision revolutionized Ottoman architectural priorities toward Western styles.

Construction timeline and political context

Dolmabahçe Palace took thirteen years to complete from 1843 to 1856. Ottoman Armenian architects Garabet Amira Balyan and his son Nigoğos Balyan led the design. They created a palace in Baroque, Rococo, and Neoclassical styles. The exorbitant construction cost of the palace had a significant effect on the finance of the Ottoman Empire. The empire funded it through currency devaluation, mass printing of paper money, and foreign loans. These financial pressures led the empire to default on its public debt in 1875.

Use by Ottoman sultans and downfall of the empire

The imperial family moved from Topkapı Palace to their new European-style residence in 1856. Six Ottoman sultans used Dolmabahçe as their residence between 1856 and 1924. The palace became the main administrative headquarters of the Ottoman Empire. Many diplomatic meetings and political decisions that shaped the empire's final decades were held here.

Dolmabahçe witnessed the slow deterioration of the empire until its end in 1922. The new Republic of Turkey purchased the palace through a law that was passed on March 3, 1924.

Atatürk's residence in the palace

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Turkey's first president, used Dolmabahçe as his presidential palace whenever he came to Istanbul. His choice carried both practical and symbolic meaning - it symbolized Turkey's evolution from empire to modern state.