Istanbul - Dolmabahce Sarayi

Dolmabahce Sarayi

Dolmabahce Sarayi

The Dolmabahçe-Palace is located at the seaside of the Bosporus and was from the middle of 19th century the residency of the Sultans. Originally the place of the palace was used as bay by the Ottoman fleet. After siltation a beautiful garden was established here and more and more small castels and summer houses moved here.

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As already mentioned before the Dolmabahçe-Palace, the Topkapi-Palace was used as the center of the Ottoman power. With the time the Ottoman culture was more and more influenced by the cultural standards from Europe and so it was decided to move the Sultan´s residency also to the European part of Istanbul. Sultan Abdülmecid I ordered to built the Dolmabahce Sarayi. The cost of the construction were so high that they are said to be one of the reasons of the insolvency of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century.

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The palace has 285 rooms and 46 halls and several hamams and baths. The influence of the European style is also to be recognized in the architecture, however the interior was prevailed by Ottoman elements. Due to the fact that the harem has to be completely separated from the remaining complex, the palace is entered , in a different way than in Europe, by the Southern side. Here also receives of foreign politicians were organized. The palace was built according to the highest technical standards at this time, was were gas lightening and toilettes. The ceiling of the Dolmabahçe-Palace is said to be covered by 14 tonnes of gold and the centre of the complex is the world`s largest chandelier in the central hall the so-called Muayede. The stair rail is made of crystal.

Turkey`s most famous politician Mustafa Kemal Atatürk used the palace after the offset of the Sultan as his residency and even died there in 1938.

Dolmabahce Sarayi by istanbul turkey.co.uk