Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace, the symbol of Westernization of the 19th century, carries the memory of the centuries and the clear splendor of the waters of the Bosphorus. A bay that harbored ships since antiquity, in time it became the favorite residence of the Sultanate.

The important and famous architects of the period took part in the construction process of the Dolmabahçe Palace: Abdülhalim Bey, Altunizade İsmail Zühtü Pasha, Karabet Balyan, Ohannes Serverian, Nikoğos Balyan and James William Smith. Although the building plan does not stray from the old traditions, the interior and exterior decorations of the palace were intensively based on western styles.

Dolmabahçe Palace, which is the third largest palace in Istanbul among the palaces built in the Ottoman period, has a magnificent splendor with its gardens, as well as its historical and refined architecture indicating a turning point.

Before the construction of the Dolmabahçe Palace, the swampy bay between Beşiktaş Royal Garden and Kabataş Karabali Gardens was reclaimed by filling the sea in the 17th century. The palace took its name from this filling process and the region was transformed into a large garden. As its name indicates, the region called “dolma-bağçe” has been associated with horticulture since then. Utilized as a royal garden for many years, Dolmabahçe gained further significance after it became the residence of the dynasty.