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The entrance to Dolmabahçe Palace is through the Treasury Gate. Visitors can purchase tickets and get their audioguides outside the gate.
Dolmabahçe Clock Tower
The first thing visitors to the palace see is the Dolmabahçe Clock Tower (Dolmabahçe Saat Kulesi). It was commissioned by Sultan Abdülhamid II and built by Ottoman Armenian architect Sarkis Balyan (1835-1899) between 1890 and 1895.
The clock tower is 27 meters (89 feet) high. The clock was installed by Ottoman court clock master Johann Meyer and made by the house of French clockmaker Jean-Paul Garnier. It features Eastern Arabic numerals.
Treasury Gate
After purchasing tickets, visitors pass through the elegant Treasury Gate (Hazine Kapısı). It feautures two iron doors sitting in an archway between two double columns. It leads to the courtyards of the Furnishings Department (see below) and the Treasury Department (Hazine-i Hassa Dairesi), then to the Selamlık area.
The medallion above the gate contains the monogram of Sultan Abdülmecid I. Underneath is a poem by Ziver dated 1855. The poem was inscribed by Ottoman calligrapher Kazasker Mustafa İzzet Efendi (1801-1876).
Furnishings Department
To the left of the Treasury Gate is the Furnishings Department (Mefruşat Dairesi). Today, it hosts the palace administrative building. Visitors pass through the elegant courtyard of the building, which also contains a gift shop.
Changing of the Guard
During my very first visit to Dolmabahçe Palace, I was able to witness a changing of the guard ceremony.
