Dolmabahce Palace Istanbul

 

Dolmabahçe Palace is along the shore of the Bosphorus on the European side, a few miles up from the Golden Horn in the area called Beşitkaş. This is just one of many places that Istanbul Hotel Booker recommends you visit.

 

Where to Stay

If you want to stay in an Istanbul hotel which is close to the Dolmabahçe Palace, look for a hotel in the Beşitkaş area. There are hotels here which are right on the Bosphorus, but you will pay a huge premium for such a desirable location.

If these hotels in Istanbul are out of your price range, perhaps one in Taksim would be better. You have a very good range of hotels to suit all budgets here and it’s only about a mile away from the Dolmabahçe Palace, so within walking distance or easy to reach by public transport.

 

When to Go

Dolmabahçe Palace is open to the public daily except Mondays and Thursdays between 9am to 3pm so with a relatively small window of opportunity you would need to plan a visit to the palace in advance if you’re fitting it around other attractions too. If your hotel in Istanbul is nearby, it will make life a lot easier!

 

About Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace was built for the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century and took eleven years to complete. It is the largest and most extravagant of all the palaces and was the main administrative centre of the Empire from 1853, when the Sultan and his family moved here because Topkapi Palace lacked the more modern luxuries of this new palace.

 

What to See

Dolmabahçe Palace was certainly fit for royalty, though by today’s standards may be considered just a bit too opulent. Entrance is by guided tour only and you should expect to be here for 2 to 3 hours to make the most of a visit.

The tour includes the room of Kemal Atatürk (the founder of modern-day Turkey), who died here on November 10, 1938, and although you won’t get to see all 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 Turkish baths and 68 toilets, you will see a 4.5 tonnes chandelier, given by Queen Victoria, and an impressive staircase made with Baccarat crystal banisters!

Apparently everything that you see which is coloured yellow is actually gold. 14 tonnes of gold leaf were used on the ceilings! If only the hotels in Istanbul were like that!