Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı) is a magnificent Ottoman palace on the Bosporus. It’s one of the highlights of visiting Istanbul and is located in the Dolmabahçe area.
History
The palace sits on land reclaimed from the Bosporus. It was once a bay used to anchor the Ottoman fleet. The bay was filled in the 18th century to create an imperial garden. In fact, the name Dolmabahçe translates to Filled Garden. A series of small palaces and wooden pavilions were built in the 18th and early 19th centuries, eventually forming the Beşiktaş Waterfront Palace (Beşiktaş Sahil Sarayı) complex.
Dolmabahçe Palace was commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid I. After living at the Medieval Topkapi Palace for nearly 400 years, he decided it was time for the Ottoman Empire to build a modern royal palace. Topkapi lacked modern comforts and luxury, so he decided to demolish the Beşiktaş Waterfront Palace and build Dolmabahçe in its place.
Construction on Dolmabahçe Palace started on June 14, 1843, under Ottoman Armenian architect Garabet Balyan (1800-1866) and his son, Nigoğayos (1826-1858). It officially opened on June 7, 1856. The cost of construction contributed to bankrupting the empire, which defaulted on its public debt in October 1875.
The palace contains a total of 285 rooms, 44 halls, 6 baths, and 68 toilets. It covers an area of 14,595 square meters.
Six sultans lived at the palace from 1856 to 1924. It was the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1887 and again from 1909 to 1922. Yıldız Palace was used between 1887 and 1909.
After the Ottoman Empire
On March 3, 1924, the palace became property of the Turkish Republic. It served as a summer presidential residence for Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who died there on November 10, 1938. Atatürk held the First Turkish History Congress there in 1932, and the First and Second Turkish Language Conferences in 1934. He also opened it to tourists for the first time in 1930.
Atatürk hosted guests such as King Edward VIII of Great Britain, King Faisal I of Iraq, Reza Shah Pahlavi of Iran, King Abdullah I of Jordan, King Amanullah of Afghanistan, and King Alexander I of Yugoslavia. Later, it held receptions for Prime Minister Charles de Gaulle of France, King Faisal II of Iraq, and President Giovanni Gronchi of Italy.
The palace opened to tourism once a week starting in 1952, and stayed open more frequently starting June 25, 1979. It officially became a museum in 1984 and is managed by the Directorate of National Palaces (Milli Saraylar Daire Başkanlığı).
Visiting
Tickets to Dolmabahçe Palace are 1050₺ for foreigners (as of January 2024). The Museum Pass Istanbul is not accepted. The palace is open daily except Mondays. The main entrance is on the western end of the palace grounds, with exits at both the eastern and western ends.
When I first visited in November 2010, a guided tour was required for all visitors. Visits are now self-guided. A free audioguide is provided and highly recommended to make the most of your visit. Photos are forbidden inside the palace.
I’ve broken down the sections of the palace into a few entries. They’re listed according to the order of my visit: