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View of Dolmabahçe Palace from the Bosphorus photo by SBarnes –

Top 10 Little Known Facts about Dolmabahce Palace

Visitors are constantly looking for surprises when they travel. It is even more difficult to please those guests who have seen more destinations because their expectations have risen. One mansion in Istanbul, Turkey, may be just what travellers are seeking if they want to be amazed.

The Dolmabahce Palace is a luxurious and extravagant complex. The mansion exudes almost inconceivable splendour. The palace on the banks of the Bosphorus is one of the most opulent in the world.

Dolmabahce Palace, which saw the Ottoman Empire’s cultural and political revolution in the nineteenth century, remains one of the most outstanding monuments of the reform period.

Here are the top 10 little-known facts about this magnificent palace.

1. Dolmabahce Palace was commissioned by the Empire’s 31st Sultan, Abdülmecid I

Sultan Abdülmecid photo sourced from

Sultan Abdülmecid I commissioned the construction of the structure since the family’s previous dwelling did not meet his high standards of elegance.

The sultan was quite fussy about his new home. The Dolmabahce Palace made extensive use of gold and crystal. The palace’s gilded ceilings have gold leaf accents; fourteen tons of gold leaf were employed for this feature.

Built-in the nineteenth century, it nearly bankrupted Sultan Abdulmecit. The Sultan and his family had previously resided at the Topkapi Palace, but the medieval Topkapi lacked contemporary style, luxury, and comfort when compared to the palaces of European monarchs.

Abdülmecid decided to construct a new modern palace near the site of the former Beşiktaş Sahil Palace which was demolished.

2. Dolmabahce palace took 13 years to build and complete

During the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid I, it was felt that the BeÅŸiktaÅŸ coastal palace was lacking in terms of functionality. Plans for Dolmabahce Palace’s construction were laid and the process officially started on June 13, 1843.

The important architects of the period, Abdülhalim Bey, Altunizade İsmail Zühtü Pasha, Karabet Balyan, Ohannes Serveryan, Nikoğos Balyan and James William participated in the construction of the palace.

Hacı Said Ağa was responsible for the construction works, while the project was realized by architects Garabet Balyan, his son Nigoğayos Balyan and Evanis Kalfa (members of the Armenian Balyan family of Ottoman court architects).

Dolmabahce Palace was opened for use on June 7, 1856, after 13 years of construction.

3. Its construction cost five million Ottoman gold lira

Gate of the Treasury in Dolmabahce Palace photo by Cemallamec –

The building cost five million Ottoman gold lira, or 35 tonnes of gold, which is approximately $1.9 billion at today’s (2022) prices. This figure amounted to roughly a fourth of the annual tax collection.

In reality, the building was funded through debasement, huge paper money printing, and foreign loans.

The high expenses imposed tremendous pressure on the state purse and contributed to the Ottoman Empire’s deteriorating financial status, which eventually defaulted on its public debt in October 1875, with the European powers establishing financial authority over the “sick man of Europe” in 1881.

4. Dolmabahce is the largest palace in Turkey

Remote view of Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey photo by A.Savin –

Dolmabahce is the largest palace in Turkey. Together with the perimeter walls, the construction was completed in 1856. Dolmabahce is the largest palace in Turkey.

It has an area of 45,000 m2 (11.1 acres) and contains 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths (Hamam) and 68 toilets. It consists of sixteen separate sections besides the main structure.

Those sections are the buildings with different functions, such as palace stables, mills, pharmacies, kitchens, aviaries, glass shops, foundry, and patisserie shops.

5. It served as the main administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire

It served as the Ottoman Empire’s major administrative hub from 1856 to 1887, then again from 1909 to 1922 (Yıldız Palace was used in the interim period).

The palace was home to six Sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, up until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924: The last royal to live here was Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi.

Built-in an opulent European style, Dolmabahce Palace was the home of the Ottoman sultans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before the fall of the empire.

The giant crystal chandeliers, marble staircases, and lush carpets that adorn the interior reflect the shift toward Istanbul’s more European way of thinking. The last royal to live here was Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi.

6. It was constructed to cover up the decline of the Ottoman Empire

Crystal room in Dolmabahçe Palace photo by Antoine Taveneaux –

The true reason behind the construction of Dolmabahce Palace was to cover up that the Ottoman Empire was in decline. As a result, the new palace had to be elaborately ornamented to dazzle the world.

It also had to break with the Ottoman custom of building several pavilions, so he commissioned the leading Ottoman architect to design a monolithic Ottoman-European palace.

7. It has the largest collection of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers worldwide

Dolmabahce Palace photo by KLMircea –

Dolmabahce has the largest collection of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers in the world. The famous Crystal Staircase has the shape of a double horseshoe and is built of Baccarat crystal, brass and mahogany.

Another famous highlight of the Dolmabahce Palace is the crystal staircase. An elaborate staircase, with a crystal chandelier as the centrepiece, will take anyone’s breath away.

8. Dolmabahce palace houses the largest Bohemian chandelier in the world

The Ceremonial Hall houses the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier. The chandelier was initially thought to be a gift from Queen Victoria.

However, in 2006, a receipt was unearthed indicating that it had been paid for in full by the Sultan. It weighs 4.5 tonnes and features 750 bulbs.

9. It was converted into a presidential residence in 1924

In 1924, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Republic of Turkey’s founder and first President, converted the palace into a presidential residence. A law that took effect on March 3, 1924, assigned ownership of the palace to the new Turkish Republic’s national heritage.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Republic of Turkey’s founder and first President, used the palace as a presidential retreat during the summers and staged some of his most important works here.

10. Dolmabahce Palace is where Mustafa Kemal Ataturk lived and died

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk photo by TYalaA –

The supreme ruler Mustafa Kemal Ataturk lived and died in Dolmabahce Palace. He passed away here on 10th November 1938 at 9:05 am. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk spent the last days of his life in the palace as his health deteriorated.

He died at 9:05 A.M. on November 10, 1938, in a bedroom located in the former harem area of the palace. All the clocks in the palace were stopped and set to 9:05 after his death.

The clocks outside of his room now are set to the actual time in Turkey, but the clock in the room in which he died still points to 9:05.