Dolmabahce Palace (Istanbul, Turkey)
The Dolmabahce Palace was built between 1842 and 1853 and was the first European-style castle to be built in Istanbul. It cost Sultan Abdul Mecit the equivalent of 35 tons of gold, of which 14 only were used to decorate the ceilings in the interior of the building. Visitors can view largest Bohemian chandelier in the central hall of the palace which had been a gift from Queen Victoria. The staircases in the palace are made of Baccarat Crystal and the Dolmabahce is also home largest collection of Crystal Chandeliers in the world.The palace is generally a paradise for lovers of fine glass as it offers etched glass windows, a piano made out of crystal glass and crystal fountains. The whole palace is divided into two sections, the selamlik (ceremonial quarters) and the harem carsiyeler (harem - quarters of the family of the sultan). The palace owes its name to its beautifully landscaped and full gardens - dolma means filled, whereas bahce means garden . Towards the end of his life Ataturk chose the Dolmabahce as a home and visitors can see the room in which he died. If you should be wondering what is wrong with the clocks in the palace during a visit - they have all been stopped at 9.05 am on the 10 of November 1938. The exact moment Ataturk died. The palace is open from 9am to 4pm, apart from Monday and Thursday From November to April one hour earlier
Contact
Dolmabahçe Cad,
Telephone: +90(212)2369000