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Dolmabahce
Palace
The Dolmabahce Palace was built between 1843 and 1856
when the Ottoman Empire was losing its power. This superb
palace displays the richness and power that the Sultans had.
The decline of the Ottoman Empire began and people starting
revolting; the Ottoman army was obsolete and disorganized,
the economy was out of control.
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The Dolmabahce Palace is located on the west,
European shore of the Bosphorus and is enormous. It has 248 rooms,
43 entrance halls, 6 Turkish baths and approximately 2.700 windows.
It is divided into two sections: the official part - where the
sultan would receive distinguished guests from all over the world
and the Harem - where the Sultan's wife, mother and concubines
lived.
The
palace is sumptuously decorated throughout - Bakara crystals,
pictures by famous artists, luxurious furniture, rugs and carpets
from the famous carpet manufacturers of the city Hereke. Every
square meter was decorated with the best money can buy.
A 2,000 square-meters salon has a crystal chandelier
weighing 4.5 tons which was a present from the Queen Victoria of
England. To heat this enormous salon it was necessary have to begin
3 days before the event.
Ataturk,
the founder of the Turkish Republic, lived and governed Turkey from
this palace for just 3 months. You can visit his simple, modest
bed-room and office, symbolic of a man who lived and died for his
country.
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