Dolmabahçe Palace

The Dolmabahçe Palace (Turkish: Dolmabahçe Sarayi, "Palace of vibrant gardens " ) is located on the European shore of the Bosphorus in Istanbul and was the residence of the Sultan since the mid 19th century.

Location

Originally Dolmabahçe was a bay, in which the Ottoman fleet and supposedly even the Argonauts were anchored. After their silting in the 17th century there was a royal garden with several smaller palaces and summer residences. This silted area is bounded on the east by the Bosphorus, on the west by a steep escarpment, which offers next to the building of the palace and parallel to the Bosphorus shore road running no space for a garden of a size that surrounds such a palace in Central Europe usually.

Prehistory

Until the mid-19th century the Caliph -Sultan of the Ottoman Empire resided in the largely medieval-themed Topkapı Palace. After the contact with Central Europe became more intense during the 18th century, cultural standard were adopted from there in the Ottoman Empire, the Caliph -Sultan, it seemed important to can also be measured by European standards as regards his main residence.

On behalf of Sultan Abdülmecid I therefore was by the Armenian architect Karabet and Nikogos Balyan, who also had a European architectural education, the Dolmabahce Palace 13 June 1843 to 7 June 1856 new residence he and later by various rulers expanded and renovated. The cost was around five million pounds sterling, which at that time was around one quarter of the annual tax revenue. In fact, the construction work on the issue of paper money was funded. So shall the finance ministers of the Sultan granted to the construction costs, the information that they had (at that time 32 pounds sterling ) be 3500 piastres - these were the costs for the printing of paper money! This financial management burdened the exchequer enormously and contributed significantly to the fact that the Ottoman Empire as " sick man of Europe " in the second half of the 19th century drove in state bankruptcy and was placed in fiscal terms of foreign powers in receivership.

Building program

The building has a length of 600 meters, has an area of ​​45,000 sqm, 46 rooms, 285 rooms, six hammam and 68 bath rooms.

The outer appearance, especially the view from the Bosphorus, is a classic European two -winged building, which is divided by a large central projection and side projections. Inside this European appearance but a traditional Ottoman space program was implemented: The palace is structurally strictly separated into a southern wing, which contains the public reception rooms, and a northern part, where there is the wide private living area for the Sultan and his harem. Hinge between the two functional areas is the large reception hall ( Muayede Salonu ) with a floor area of 2,000 m² and a 36 m high dome. Because of the Harem had to be completely isolated from the outside world enters the external visitors - as opposed to a European palace - the building on the southern narrow side where the main entrance is located. There, the state rooms are arranged to receive visits and foreign diplomats. From here, the spatial sequence developed attention to the central reception hall, behind which then unfold the rooms of the harem. The harem has eight interconnected apartments for the wives of the Caliph - Sultan and his mother, each with private bath room.

The Bosphorus -facing terrace is completed towards the shore by a high fence, the gates lead to landing, but which are no longer used regularly today.

Equipment

Noteworthy is the one that features the seraglio, each had the most technologically advanced standard that was available. So had the palace from the beginning of gas lighting and water -flushed toilets, whose technology was imported from the UK. In continental European palaces that time there was not something like this. Were retrofitted with central heating and a lift.

Remarkably, on the other, the rest of the features of the palace: 14 tons of gold alone were used to gild the ceilings of the palace. The central hall ( Muayede ) is decorated by the largest chandelier in the world, a gift of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, which has 750 bulbs. The palace now holds the largest collection of crystal chandeliers from Bohemia and Baccarat. Even the banisters in a representation of the staircases consists of crystal. Stylistically corresponds equipping an Ottoman historicism with European Renaissance and Baroque elements.

Use

The palace served six sultans and caliphs as a residence:

• Sultan Abdülmecid I. June 7 1856-1861
• Sultan Abdulaziz 1861-1876
• Sultan Murad V 1876-1876
• Sultan Abdulhamid II 1876-1880 after Yıldız Palace
• Sultan Mehmed V 1909-1918
• Sultan Mehmed VI. 1918-1922
• Caliph Abdülmecit II 1922

The relocation of the court from the old Topkapi Palace took place in 1856. He was from now on until the end of the monarchy residence of the Caliph - Sultan, apart from the years 1889 to 1909, as the Yıldız Palace took over this function. After deposition of the Sultan and Dolmabahçe Palace Mustafa Kemal served until the move of the capital to Ankara as a seat of government and later as the Istanbul residence. To this end, no major changes were made. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died there on 10 November 1938 at 9:05 clock. After that, all watches were asked and stopped at the palace on 9:05; this was maintained for decades, the clock in his death chamber shows this time today. The other watches are indeed still continue to protect them, but they are adjusted every now and then and show today at different times.

Today, the Dolmabahce Palace, the public is open to the public and is a popular destination for domestic and foreign tourists. But he will continue to be used for prestigious state occasions, such as state visits.