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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-Findikli-(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.
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 Topkapi
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.
Touring the European Shore of the
Bosphorus
Southern
Bosphorus Sights
Northern Bosphorus Sights
The Bosphorus
Bosphorus
Cruise
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