Dolmabahçe Palace
When traveling, visitors are constantly looking for things that surprise them. It is even harder to please those visitors that have seen more places, because their standards have become somewhat higher. One palace in Istanbul, Turkey just might be what travelers need if they are looking for something that will stun them.
The Dolmabahçe Palace is a complex that represents luxury and extravagance. Built between 1843 and 1856, the palace exhibits opulence that is almost unimaginable. It was Sultan Abdülmecid I who commissioned the establishment of the structure, as the family’s former residence did not quite measure up to his standards in luxury.
Evidently, the sultan was very particular with the new residence. The Dolmabahçe Palace used much gold and crystal. In fact, the palace’s gilded ceilings feature gold leaf details; they used fourteen tons of gold leaf for this feature.
Another famous highlight of the Dolmabahçe Palace is the crystal staircase. An elaborate staircase, with a crystal chandelier as the centerpiece, will take anyone’s breath away. The palace also houses the largest Bohemian chandelier in the world. Moreover, the palace also has the world’s largest Baccarat and Bohemian crystal chandeliers in the world.
The walls of the Dolmabahçe Palace Dolmabahçe Palace are filled with paintings done by revered artists. Luxurious carpets from the Hereke Imperial Factory, and century-old bearskin rugs, are also to be found in the palace. Another arresting room in the palace is the bath reserved for men, which features carvings made of alabaster.
Such is the grandeur of the Dolmabahçe Palace, which people can only enter here by joining a guided tour. Now turned into a museum, the palace accepts guests on weekdays except on Mondays and Thursdays, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
More than being a structure that exhibits over the top luxury, the palace also holds great importance to the Turkish. It was here that their leader, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, lived and passed away. He died at 9:05 a.m. on November 10, 1938, and to commemorate his death, the clocks in the palace are stopped at the time of his demise.