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This beautiful Ottoman Palace, magnificently situated at the
European side of the Bosphorus strait, was built by the son
of Mahmut II, Sultan Abdulmecit 1839-1861, who ascended the
throne at the age 16. His decision to have a new fashionable
residence similar to European palaces started the
construction of the Dolmabahce Palace in 1843. After the
demolition of the former palace in wood, the work for the
new palace started under architects Garabet and Nikogos
Balyan, members of the famous Balyan family which gave nine
reputed architect to the Ottoman Empire for nearly a
century. Serving under the six sultans, they were
responsible for the westernization of the city's
architecture. The construction of the palace which covers an
area of 250.000 square meters, took about 13 years and
finished in 1855. Abdulmecit, the first occupant of the
palace, lived there 15 years. Since some of the Sultans
didn't show too much interest to Dolmabahce palace, it
stayed empty most of its time
Dolmabahce Palace consisted of the
sultans wing, the festival greeting hall (also known as the
throne hall) and the harem. To impress foreign ambassadors
they were received through the entrance hall which was
decorated with vases from Sevres and Yildiz and led up
stairs with railings made of crystal glass from Venice.
Crystal and silver candle holders, crystal chandeliers,
curtains of silk from Hereke, gilded cornices and silk
carpets, rooms decorated with painting of the Russian artist
Aiwazowsky gave everyone the impression that one was in the
residency of a wealthy emperor. The baroque clock tower and
the Dolmabahce Mosque, commissioned by the mother of
Abdulmecit I and built by Sarkis Balyan in 1853, complete
the Dolmabahce Palace complex.
Dolmabahce was the favorite palace of Abdulmecit and Mehmet
Resat who reigned during the first World War. Mustafa Kemal
Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, died in this
palace on the 10th of November, 1938
Open every day except Mondays and
Thursdays. |
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