Dolmabahce Palace

Description


Description

Dolmabahce Palace (Turkish: Dolmabahçe Sarayı) is located in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the European side of Istanbul. It was commissioned by Abdulmejid I (31st Ottoman king) from 1843 to 1856. Its area is 45,000 square meters and its regional area is 110,000 square meters. From 1889 to 1909, the palace was used as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. In the years before this date, the Topkapi Palace was the site of the Ottoman sultans. The palace has 285 rooms, 46 living rooms and a hall, 68 toilets and 6 baths, all of which are neo-classical, baroque and rococo. The largest hall of the palace is 600 meters with 56 beautiful columns. The most important part of this section, in addition to the columns, is the massive Bohemian Crystal Chandelier, which is one of the largest in the world, weighing 4.5 tons and containing 750 beautiful bubbles. This chandelier is a gift from Queen Victoria I. The striking thing to note is that all clocks are stopped at 9:05. This is the time that Ataturk (Mustafa Kemal Pasha), the founder of the Republic of Turkey, passed away in this palace on November 10, 1938.

Tips to visit Dolmabahce Palace

  • You will need at least 2-3 hours to visit this palace.
  • The palace is open for visitors from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM in spring and summer and from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM in fall and winter.
  • It is best to visit this palace in the morning when it is less crowded.
  • The palace is closed on Mondays and Thursdays.
  • The ticket costs 40 Lira per person, but you have to pay to visit specific areas of the palace too.

How to get to Dolmabahce Palace from Taksim?

Take the funicular from Taksim and get off at Kabatas station. You can then get to the palace by a 300-meter walk.

If you don’t like walking, you can take 42T bus from Taksim and get off at Dolmabahce station.