Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

October 2020.

In many ways the history of Istanbul can be viewed as a tale of two palaces. As regular readers may remember, the first complex sprang up in 1459 following Sultan Mehmed II’s victory with the Fall of Constantinople. Sladja and I had a fantastic time exploring Topkapi Palace, home to no less than 30 sultans during its 400 year history as the Ottoman Empire’s lavish HQ.

Eventually, in the 1840s, there came a sultan who felt dissatisfied by how run down and outdated Topkapi had become. His name was Abdulmejid I, a man recognised today as the sultan who effectively kicked off the long overdue modernisation of The Ottoman Empire.

After a tour of Europe, he complained that Topkapi was “embarrassingly inferior” to other palaces he’d seen. Thus he ordered the construction of a brand new royal seat on the banks of The Bosphorus in what is now Istanbul’s Beşiktaş district. 

We certainly couldn’t leave the Turkish capital without seeing the sultan’s grandiose creation, Dolmabahçe Palace. Hence we woke up early one morning and made our way there, arriving shortly after opening time. Hearteningly, there were no lines whatsoever as we approached the ticket office.

Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

Tickets in hand, we strolled into the palace gardens through the majestic Gate of the Treasury. Having hired the famed Armenian Balyan Family as architects, the sultan oversaw Dolmabahce’s construction, which began in 1843 and lasted for just over thirteen years.

Located on the southern side of the palace, the gate used to allow entry to the staff who managed the palace’s treasury and its many priceless antiques.

The gardens are absolutely gorgeous, a fine taster for the ludicrous opulence that awaited us within. Unveiled in 1856 as a fully operational all-singing-and-dancing Ottoman palace, Dolmabahce subsequently became home to just six sultans.

According to Sladja, armed with an audio guide, the last Ottoman leader to live here was Abdulmejid II. He had to leave the palace in 1924 after the abolition of the caliphate. I can’t imagine he was too chuffed about that. 

Adventures in Istanbul.

With the creation of The Turkish Republic, the palace fell into the hands of the country’s National Heritage group. Later, President Mustafa Kemal Atatürk moved in and adopted the compound as his Presidential Palace. As you would. 

Wandering the gardens, it wasn’t long before we came upon the gargantuan Gate of the Sultan. As you might imagine, traditionally the gate was only for the sultan’s use.

However, this temporarily changed when Murad V (who ruled for just three months between May and August 1876) began granting special guest entry. Not sure if this was why he was deposed and replaced by his brother just 93 days into his reign.

We entered the palace that day through the impressive facade of the southern wing, known in Turkish as Selamlık. The building used to house most of the palace’s administrative offices and public service rooms.

Inside, we took in the impressive scope of the Protocol Hall (Medhal Salonu). Home, among other things, to ceramic fireplaces, antique English candleholders and a Baccarat crystal chandelier. Undoubtedly impressive, though nevertheless overshadowed by a stupendous chandelier we would see later.

Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

At the end of the hall, a polished wooden staircase led us up to a long corridor where offices of the Privy Cabinet once operated. Here, typists and phone operators busied away relaying messages to the sultan. And later, the president and other top officials.

While we weren’t able to enter the rooms, we had a perfect overview from the doorways behind red velvet stanchions. For the most part these rooms were quietly stylish, such as this Chamberlain’s Office pictured below. An elegant setup of gleaming wood, puffed armchairs, framed Quran quotes and a dignified Turkish rug.

Moreover, the corridor houses a large reception room where foreign dignitaries would sit patiently sipping from glasses of mint tea. Waiting for someone to appear and confirm that President Atatürk was ready to receive them.

There was also a large prayer room, the floor’s most luxuriant space by some distance. Indeed there were chandeliers made from Murano glass imported from Italy. A number of painted medallions in honour of Allah and Muhammed. Dominating one of the walls, I spied a huge framed work of calligraphy penned by none other than Sultan Abdulmejid I.

Exploring Istanbul.

Next, a short staircase took us up to the palace’s Valuable Collections Room. Here, there were 19th century Asian vases and a meticulously carved banquet table belonging to Sultan Mehmed Reşad V, who ruled between 1909 and 1918.

Furthermore, a glass cabinet displayed numerous items from Ottoman tea and coffee culture. Somewhat garish in colour and design, there are porcelain teapots, glass jugs, flowery teacups and gold teaspoons.

Soon we were off down another corridor, unaware that in terms of splendour things were about to reach a whole new level.

Right enough, there was a soft communal whoa between us as we entered the Zulvecheyn Salon. Considered the heart of the sultan’s inner sanctum, this was a place of rest. Sometimes the sultan would nap here, or gaze out across the gardens through the windows. From time to time piano performances took place, during which the sultan might invite a select few from his harem to join him.

Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

From there we found ourselves overwhelmed by a seemingly endless array of opulent halls and salons, all of which served as social gathering spaces. Many of these were named after colours. The Pink Hall, appropriately, had plenty of pinky bits. In contrast, the Blue Hall wasn’t blue at all. Another grand albeit modest space, the Red Salon, clearly wasn’t a misnomer.

Many of the rooms we saw housed musical instruments. And then there was the actual Music Room, where the sultan and his closest confidantes would chill for delightful evenings of traditional Turkish song and dance.

In the various corridors, hallways and landings, we came across scattered displays of Turkish paintings and furniture. One of the very finest and best preserved pieces is this hand-carved rosewood Ottoman console. Disappointingly, neither the audio guide nor the accompanying blurb could tell us how old it is or what it may have stored.

At last, we arrived at what many historians say is Dolmabahce’s spectacular centrepiece, the Ceremonial Hall. Despite all the immense beauty we’d already seen, this was definitely a next-level moment. This is where new sultans were officially unveiled and where they received their most important overseas guests. Atatürk also chose this room to make his first speech as president.

The Ceremonial Hall.

The design is simply exquisite. There are 56 towering marble columns and a 124-square-meter rug custom made in the Turkish town of Hereke. Back in the Ottoman years they even managed to heat the floor by installing stoves in the soil. And yet, the show-stealer is the world’s largest chandelier, a 4.5 tonne Bohemian crystal beast made in England in 1853.

The hall’s dome is a revelation too. 36 metres high, it boasts a level of craftsmanship that wouldn’t look out of place in some of Istanbul’s most celebrated mosques.

The Ceremonial Hall marked the end of the first part of our interior tour. Exiting, we sat outside on the marble staircase taking in a section of the garden.

Beyond the garden lies the hypnotic blue of The Bosphorus. Glad to have rested our legs, we strolled down to the open Gate to the Bosphorus. This is where the aforementioned foreign guests would arrive by boat before entering the palace.

Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

Passing through the gate onto the narrow stone platform, Sladja and I spotted a pensive pair of gulls surveying their kingdom. It was a nice moment, and one I was pleased to have captured shortly before they flew off.

Leaving the gate behind, we negotiated an until now undiscovered part of the palace gardens on our way to a small but fascinating museum.

Dolmabache Clock Museum showcases a number of clocks put to use in both Topkapi Palace and Dolmabahce. The various sultans had hundreds imported from Europe, especially France, a pioneer in ornamental musical clocks between the 16th and late 18th centuries.

The museum consists of just a single room, but one that is packed with some of the most incredible clocks I’ve ever seen.

In truth, I could have taken the time to photograph at least a dozen. In the end, I limited myself to just two. This French piece, produced in the late 1800s, plays six different tunes. On the stroke of the hour the music starts to play and the little ship on top begins to bob back and forth.

Dolmabache Clock Museum.

Of the few Ottoman antiques on display, this astronomical clock certainly caught my eye. Made by a Turkish mathematician and astronomer by the name of Es Seyyid Süleyman Leziz, its exceptionally detailed dial indicates dozens of important calendar dates and historic national events. “A one-off piece” states the museum.

After the Clock Museum we headed for the second and concluding part of the palace interior tour. In this wing of predominantly private quarters, we saw the sultan’s bedroom, study and bathroom.

His washroom was a surprisingly understated affair. Just a sizeable wet room in many respects, with sinks for cleaning his hands and feet. In fact, the most impressive feature was this remarkable ceramic table.

A number of the rooms that came next belonged to the sultan’s wives and concubines. There were bedrooms, parlours, bathrooms, prayer rooms and communal spaces such as this tasteful lounge.

The sultan’s mother lived in the wing too. Jeez, I hope the walls were thick. This was her bedroom, a small but beautifully designed area in which she spent much of her time praying, reading and holding private audiences with her closest female friends.

Opulence Abounds at Dolmabahce Palace.

The last rooms were among the most fascinating. Following the formation of The Turkish Republic, President Atatürk moved into the wing, claiming half a dozen rooms. Inside this study, he produced some of his most important speeches and political reforms. The nation’s new alphabet, for example, was born from weeks of work carried out within these walls.

Most fascinating of all, we found ourselves entering Atatürk’s bedroom where we came face to face with his deathbed. Aged just 57, doctors diagnosed him with cirrhosis in early 1938. A result, they said, of decades of heavy smoking and alcohol consumption.

He passed away in this room, in this very bed, on November the 10th that year. Having drawn his last breath at 09:05, all the clocks in the palace were stopped at that time in honour of his life.

Back outside, in the gardens, Sladja and I gradually made our way towards the exit. We passed regal fountains, colourful flower beds and more lion statues.

Lions are symbols of royal strength and dignity. The statue below shows a lion pressing his paws down on a crocodile. This is one of 22 marble and bronze pieces made in Paris by the French sculptor Pierre Louis Rouillard upon the order of Sultan Abdulaziz.

Exploring the Turkish Capital.

By now the October sun was in full force. Ducking under a path shaded by drooping tree branches, we pressed on. In front of us, a cat darted across the edge of a glassy pond and its twisting rock formation. Just seconds later kitty was out of sight, disappearing into a cluster of cool bushes.

Near the exit, we briefly considered stopping for a drink at the palace cafe-restaurant. However, just a glance told us that things were a bit too busy for our liking.

Thus we bid Dolmabahce farewell and exited into the city. There was just enough time to have lunch before returning home for afternoon classes. Such days were always a bit stressful and rushed, but it was worth it. Particularly as we had succeeded in ticking off another Istanbul highlight while deepening our understanding and appreciation of this marvellous city.

Like this? Take a look at my series of articles on Istanbul.

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