Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace, built between 1843 and 1856 by order of Sultan Abdulmejid I, replaced the outdated Topkapı Palace as the royal residence. Designed by Ottoman-Armenian architects of the Balyan family, the palace blends Baroque, Rococo, Neoclassical, and traditional Ottoman styles.

It is the largest palace in Turkey, covering 45,000 m², with 285 rooms, 46 halls, and the world’s largest crystal chandelier. Lavishly decorated with gold, crystal, marble, and rare carpets, the palace reflects the Empire’s desire to align with European tastes during the Tanzimat reforms, at great financial cost.

Six sultans lived here until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk later used it as a summer residence and died there in 1938. Today, the palace is a museum managed by Turkey’s Directorate of National Palaces.

The name 'Dolmabahçe' (meaning 'Filled-in Garden') comes from the palace’s location, once a bay on the Bosporus, later transformed into an imperial garden.

Address
, Istanbul, Turkey

Established
1843-1856