Dolmabahce Palace -

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Dolmabahce Palace, also known as Dolmabahce Sayari, is a sign of pride and certainly one of the most important tourist attractions in Turkey. Dolmabahçe Palace is located on the European side of the Bosphorus, in the Besiktas district of Istanbul, Turkey. For a long time, this palace was the most important building in Turkey, serving as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1922, as well as the residence of 6 sultans, until the abolition of the caliphate in 1924. In 1924, the ownership of the palace passed to the Turkish Republic and it became the presidential residence of Kemal Atatürk.

Dolmabahçe Palace was built between the years 1843 and 1856, under the order of Abdülmecid I, the 31st sultan of the empire. The place where the palace was built was the original site to become the imperial garden hence the name Dolmabahce (translated as complete garden). Considered an architectural marvel, Dolmabahce Palace was designed by Garabet Balyan, Nigogayos Balyan and Kalfa Evanis, renowned architects who have designed many other important buildings including mosques, churches and various public buildings, mainly in Constantinople. They designed this palace on an area of about 110,000 square meters in which you can see different styles such as baroque, rococo and neoclassical blending together to create a harmonious work.

Regardless of the money, the construction cost, a real fortune, about 5 million Ottoman gold coins. This palace is made up of 16 separate sections apart from the palace itself, including stables, a flour mill, a glass factory, kitchens, an aviary and a pharmacy. The main attraction is the main hall which covers an area of 2000 m2 with large columns supporting the dome which is 36 m at the top, inside this hall is also a chandelier of 4.5 tons, adorned with 750 lamps, given by Queen Victoria.