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Dolmabahçe Palace on the European shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul is a fitting symbol of the magnificence and decadence of the 19th-century Ottoman Empire.

It's just as a sultan's palace should be: huge and sumptuous, with 285 rooms, 43 large salons, a 4000 kg (4-1/2-ton) Bohemian glass chandelier, and a Bosphorus-shore façade nearly a quarter mile (1/2 km) long. It's the grandest of Ottoman imperial palaces (closed Monday & Thursday; stay 2-3 hrs; guided tour required).

The cheapest, most comfortable way to get there is by the Zeytinburnu-Kabataş-(Besiktas) tram which runs from Sultanahmet Square down to Eminönü, across the Golden Horn to Karaköy (Galata), then north almost to the palace.

You can walk from Taksim Square downhill to Dolmabahçe (it's about a mile, or 1.6 km), but the walk back uphill is tiring, so you may want to take a taxi. or the funicular from Kabataş.

The palace was designed by Ottoman Armenian architects Karabet and Nikogos Balian for Sultan Abdulmecit (1839-61). When it was finished in 1856, the imperial family moved out of medieval Topkapı Palace to live in European-style opulence.

Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), founder of the Turkish Republic, died here on November 10, 1938 during a visit to the city.

On the day you visit Dolmabahçe Palace, you may want to consider also visiting the Istanbul Modern Art Museum nearby in Tophane.

Click here for other things to see on the southern Bosphorus.

Click here for a tour of the European shore of the Bosphorus.