Gate to the Dolmabahce Palace. Photo courtesy of Dennis Jarvis via Flickr.
The 19th-century Dolmabahçe Palace, which lords over the Bosphorus on Istanbul’s European shore, is one of the most glamorous palaces in the world and a fitting symbol of the magnificence and decadence of the late Ottoman Empire.
The Dolmabahce Palace (Dolmabahce Sarayi) was designed for Sultan Abdulmecit (1839-1861) by Ottoman-Armenian architects Karabet and Nikogos Balian. When it was completed in 1856, the imperial family left the medieval Topkapı Palace and established their new residence here, as did the rest of the Ottoman Sultans until the empire collapsed after World War I. The palace boasts 285 rooms, 43 large salons, a 4.5-ton Bohemian glass chandelier and a Bosphorus-shore façade nearly a quarter of a mile long.
Besides its historic importance, Dolmabahce Palace has great significance for the Turkish people because Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the country’s founder and most revered hero, used the palace as a residence during his visits to Istanbul. Ataturk also spent the last days of his life here, and passed away in the palace on November 10th, 1938. Every clock in the palace is stopped at 9:05am, the time of his death.
Dolmabahçe Palace, like all traditional Ottoman palaces, consists of two parts: the Selamlık (public area), where the Sultan met with government officers, diplomats and other important visitors, and the Haremlik, where the imperial family and their servants lived.
You can get into the palace grounds for only a few lira, but if you want to explore the Selamlık and the Haremlik you’ll need an extra ticket. Only 3,000 entrance tickets are sold per day, and during high season these can sometimes sell out, so try to be there early in the morning.
Tours of the Dolmabahce Palace in English and Turkish last about 45 minutes and leave throughout the day. The palace is open every day except Monday, Thursday and the first day of Islamic holidays.
The cheapest, most comfortable way to get there is by the Bağcılar-Kabataş tram which runs from Sultanahmet to Kabataş, where it is a 10-minute walk to the palace. If you’re in Taksim Square, take the Füniküler downhill to Kabataş, then walk north along the Bosphorus to Dolmabahçe.
