Dolmabahce Palace is the pearl of the Ottoman Empire in the center of Istanbul. Opening hours and cost of visiting

There are many in Istanbul interesting places that are worth visiting for tourists. Among them are palaces, temples, hammams and much more. Only active ones Muslim mosques there are almost three thousand. There are many small shrines that are little known to visitors, but there are also many that people of various faiths from all over the world want to visit.

Each of the mosques ancient capital It has unique story, unusual appearance and rich interior decoration. But the most visited of them are real masterpieces, works of art that leave no one indifferent. Yes and Bezmialem Sultan Mosque (Turkish: Bezmialem Valide Sultan Camii), which appeared in the 19th century, is capable of winning the hearts of tourists.

Dolmabahce Mosque in Istanbul - a little history

Construction of the mosque began in 1853 at the request of the mother of Sultan Abdul Mecid I Bezmialem Valide Sultan. But when she died, the building had not yet been completed. Then the son took over the process of constructing the Muslim shrine. The talented architect Karapet Balyan worked on the creation of this architectural monument.

The mosque was completed in 1855, at that time it was one of the richest in Istanbul. The Sultan regularly came there to pray on Fridays. Between 1956 and 1960, the mosque housed a naval museum, and in 1967 religious services began to be held there again. In 2009, the building was completely restored.

Dolmabahce Mosque - description

Dolmabahce Mosque built in Baroque style. It has a square shape with sides of 25 meters. Thus, the total area of the mosque is 625 m².

Being part of the palace complex, the mosque contains two-story front section, in which government officials could worship Allah and perform prayers. The balcony for the Sultan is protected by a screen; it was made for security purposes. Public processions and meetings could be held near the mosque.

The distinctive feature of the building is circular arrangement of arched windows, which resembles a peacock's tail. This is unusual architectural solution Before the construction of the Dolmabahçe shrine, it was not used by the craftsmen who built other mosques. The mosque has two minarets with balconies. The height of the minarets is 40.25 m. In the interior decoration of the building one can see a mixture of Baroque and Ampere styles. Under the dome there is a precious chandelier. Red porphyry was used in the construction of the mihrab and the member.

Where is the mosque and how to get to it

The Dolmabahce Mosque stands on the shore, in the south of the territory of the Dolmabahce Palace. Official address of the attraction: Visnezade Mh., 34357 Besiktas/Istanbul. Attraction coordinates: 41°2’12″N 28°59’42″E.

You can get to the mosque using one of the following methods:

You can drive to Dolmabahce Mosque on one of the buses IETT: 30D, 28T, 28, 26B, 26A, 26, 103, 70KE, etc.
They also follow there funiculars: F1, T1.
In addition, expressways run towards the mosque. ferries: V2, V3, V6.
For those who prefer to ride by tram, the route T1 -ZEYTINBURNU - KABATAŞ is suitable. Stop – FINDIKLI.

More detailed information about transport that goes towards the mosque can be found at www.placesinistanbul.com/placeTransit.php?placeID=1524&lan=EN.

Dolmabahce Mosque in the photo

Below you can see a selection of photographs of the Istanbul Dolmabahce Mosque. This beautiful architectural monument, located near the waters of the Bosphorus, looks like a fairy-tale structure. It makes you admire and dream of visiting there as quickly as possible.

Surprisingly, Dolmabahce Palace was literally built on the water of the bay - this area was once washed by the waves of the Bosphorus. To make any construction possible, it was necessary to build a huge embankment, which, in fact, was done back in the 17th century. That is why the palace has a name that, translated, sounds like “mound garden.”

The earth shaft was intended for the construction of Besiktas, which was built in the same century from wood. Of course, the fragile material gradually collapsed, and the building was erased from the face of the earth by time. The idea of developing undeveloped bulk lands came to Sultan Abdul-Mecid only 2 centuries later.

The palace complex includes Dolmabahce Palace, a mosque and clock tower, a watch museum and a museum of painting and sculpture.

Dolmabahce Palace, 1918

The construction of Dolmabahce Palace dates back to the 19th century. The initiator of the construction was Padishah Abdul-Mejid (Abdülmecit). The capricious Sultan found the Topkapi palace architecture too boring and ordinary, and he decided to erect a luxurious structure that could compete in beauty and grandeur with famous European analogues such as Palace of Versailles in France.

Literally translated into Russian, Dolmabahçe means “mound garden”. The building project belongs to the talented Turkish architect Karapet Balyan, born in Armenia. The territory reclaimed near the Bosphorus Bay was chosen for construction. For a long period, Dolmabahce was considered the main residence of the Turkish sultans. When Kemal Ataturk, who founded the Turkish Republic, passed away, the palace halls were empty, and later they were turned into a beautiful museum complex.

Sultan Abdulmecid

The idea to build a luxurious palace was fully realized. The palace walls stretched along the shore of the bay for as much as 600 meters, and a luxurious park was laid out in front of the central facade.

The interior decoration of the palace amazes with its luxury. On its territory there are 285 rooms and 43 large halls, richly decorated with gold, gems, carvings, and stucco. Once upon a time, legends about the wealth of the palace spread far beyond the borders of the Ottoman state!

Historical documents say that over 15,000 kg of pure gold and 40,000 kg of silver were spent on the construction and improvement of the palace interior. It is known that Queen Victoria was once an honored guest of the palace, who presented the padishah with a luxurious gift - an amazing chandelier. Today all visitors can see it large hall ceremonies.

Dolmabahce Palace is conventionally divided into two main zones. One part - public - is intended for celebrations, meetings, official receptions, etc. The other part - the residential one - was given to the complete disposal of the Sultan's harem.

The large Dolmabahce palace tourist complex and museum includes the so-called State Apartments, which offer views of the Bosphorus coast. This part of the palace consists of two tiers, connected by a wide flight of stairs.

Of course, no palace could do without its own kitchen and cooks. It is interesting that in Dolmabahce itself there was no kitchen area: a special building was erected at a distance from the main building, across the road. This was not done by chance: it was assumed that the aromas of the dishes served to the padishah’s table would distract from government affairs taking place in the public area.

The modern museum exhibition of Dolmabahce includes thousands of rare exhibits, including a bear skin sent to the padishah from Russia. Initially, the skin was white, but the palace decided to radically change its shade to black. This was done for practical reasons: this way there would be no noticeable dirt on the piece of furniture.

Art collection of Dolmabahce Museum

Of particular interest to visitors museum complex evokes an art collection. Among the numerous paintings there is a whole collection of works by Ivan Aivazovsky, a Russian marine painter. The ruler of the Empire liked Aivazovsky’s work so much that he ordered paintings with views of the Bosphorus from the talented artist, of which there are 40 copies in the collection today. You can admire them in the “Treasury of the Palace” hall.

Another exhibition dedicated to the life of the palace residents is located in the “Salon of Precious Things” hall. Personal belongings of the nobility who lived in Dolmabahce, made of precious metals and stones, are exhibited here.

But most of all tourists are attracted by a tour of the harem. Inspecting the “women’s” premises and the Sultan’s personal chambers is a real pleasure! The harem also has two main zones: the first for organizing ceremonial receptions (Blue Hall), the second for having fun for the Sultan’s concubines and wives.

Palace complex

Dolmabahce Palace - a huge complex

Dolmabahce is a full-fledged complex, which includes a large number of additional buildings, united into a group by one common wall.

Dolmabahce Palace, as already mentioned, consists of two main parts and the Ceremonial Hall:

Mabeyn-i Hümayun is the official part or Selamlık
Harem-i Hümayun - family part or Harem (Harem)
Muayede Salonu - Ceremonial, festive hall (Tören Salonu)

To enter the central administrative buildings, you need to go through the gate. There are two main entrance gates here - the Imperial Gate and the Treasury Gate. There are 5 more gates along the coast for those arriving at the palace by water. A full tour of the palace grounds, accompanied by a guide, lasts about 2 hours.

Imperial Gate

One of the most interesting buildings is the glass pavilion, which offers stunning views of the local nature. Once upon a time, the Ottoman padishahs watched military parades and the life of the palace in general from this point.

For tourists, the Pavilion opens its doors on a par with the palace. To get into it, you need to go to the nearest corner of the park area, located on the left.

Glass pavilion in Dolmabahce Palace

The building exudes lightness and airiness, because the rays of the sun penetrate through the ceiling and walls. Such impressions are achieved not only due to the transparency of the glass, but also due to large number crystal lamps and chandeliers.

Another interesting outbuilding from the 19th century is the bird gallery, which was built specifically for the Sultan’s feathered pets. Nearby there is a pavilion with various types of plants, the chief eunuch's room, a kitchen area, and a carpet workshop.

The area of Dolmabahce is 45,000 square meters. m. Here, in addition to luxurious rooms and halls, there are 5 main staircases and as many as 68 toilets! The street side is lined with stone walls, and the interior of the structure is made of brick. In addition to several tons of gold and silver, 131 silk carpets were woven to decorate the palace interior. The furnishings are mainly European. Their delivery was supervised by the French Ambassador Ahmed Fethi Pasa. For example, flowerpots were brought from Sèvres, silk fabric from Lyon, candlesticks from England, Venetian glass, German chandeliers.

The museum houses an impressive collection of crystal from all over Europe. Over a thousand chairs, sofas and couches have also been preserved here. Some of the furniture was made to order, others were received as gifts from Indian, Chinese, Egyptian and other ambassadors.

To maintain a comfortable temperature in the rooms, ceramic stoves and fireplaces were first used. At the beginning of the 20th century, they were replaced by more modern heating systems.

Ceremonial Hall (Muayede Salonu)

Ceremony hall

This luxurious hall was intended for the Sultan's audiences and ceremonies.

It is in this room that the largest and heaviest chandelier in the world, which was donated by Queen Victoria in 1853, hangs from a height of 36 meters. The chandelier is truly beautiful: its weight is over 4.5 tons. Along the entire perimeter of the interior decoration made of Bohemian glass there are candlesticks, the total number of which is 750!

The floor of the Ceremonial Hall is decorated with the largest carpet in Turkey, with an area of 124 square meters.

Next to the ceremony hall (Muayede Salonu or Tören Salonu) there is another hall that cannot be ignored. The Clerk's Room has several names, among which the most famous are the Secretariat Room or the Ceramic Room. This room is famous for the fact that it houses the largest work of art in the entire palace - a painting dating back to the early 70s of the 18th century. The author of this masterpiece is Italian explorer of the East Stefano Ussi. The canvas depicts the pilgrimage of people from Istanbul to Mecca. It is known that the Turkish padishah received the painting as a gift from the Egyptian head of state Ismail Pasha.

Imperial Staircase in Dolmabahce Palace

The first floor of the palace is connected to the second by a massive staircase, the railings of which are made of crystal. The staircase design is called Imperial. Stylistically, it belongs to the Baroque direction. The designer was Nigogos Balyan. Baccarat crystals were used to decorate the staircase. The beauty of the interior design of the main palace halls takes your breath away!

Hall of Ambassadors (Süfera Salonu)

Sufera Salonu

Another palace room, the Sufer Hall, amazes with its originality and luxury. This territory was once given over for meetings and negotiations with ambassadors from different states, as well as the neighboring Red Hall. It was also often attended by foreign delegations. These premises not only hosted diplomats, but also held entertainment events for them. The floor covering in the Hall of Ambassadors is the Hereke carpet, the size of which is amazing. total area coverage is 120 sq. m.

The Red Hall is named so for a reason. The main shade of the interior here was deep red, especially in textiles. This color symbolized the power of the Ottoman Empire. Interestingly, there are no real solid walls in the hall; they are replaced by thick burgundy curtains. The main decoration of the room is a real picture of Istanbul, which opens to visitors through wide window openings.

Harem

2/3 of the Dolmabahce palace territory was given over to the Harem. The apartments on the eastern side (on the coast) were completely given over to the needs of the Sultan’s mother and members ruling dynasty. The padishah’s concubines, including his “favorites,” lived in the street rooms. This area is all painted with magnificent ornaments in the traditions of Turkey and Europe. The harem communicates with Selamlik through a spacious, long corridor. Most interesting for guests of the palace are two harem halls - Blue and Pink. The first received this name because of the heavenly color that predominates in the interior and textiles. On religious days, luxurious celebrations were held here. The pink room also got its name because of the color scheme of the walls. From the window openings of this room you can clearly see the breathtaking landscapes of the Bosphorus. Valide Sultan welcomed visitors here, and these apartments were also used for private conversations and acquaintances.

Ataturk's room

Kemal Ataturk is considered the last “owner” of the Dolmabahce palace complex. As president, Ataturk first visited Dolmabahce Palace on July 1, 1927. The hall, which was chosen by Ataturk as his permanent home, was once used by the Ottoman padishahs as a winter bedroom.

The interior of Ataturk's room has reached us unchanged, including decorations and furniture. It is noteworthy that there is neither luxury nor chic here. Everything is very simple and strict. Travelers coming to Dolmabahce are interested in the same question: why do all the palace clockworks show the same time - 9:05? And the answer to it is very simple: it was at this time, on November 10, 1938, that the legendary Mustafa Kemal Ataturk passed away.

Ataturk's office in Dolmabahce Palace

Between 1927 and 1938, he came to Istanbul 31 times and not only stayed here, but also used the Palace premises for work, business meetings and negotiations with foreign guests, among whom were:
- In 1928, the Afghan King Amanullah Khan,
- In 1931, Japanese heir to the throne Takamutsu
- In 1932, Iranian King Faysal,
- In 1932, former Prime Minister of France Edouard Herriot, Chief of the American General Staff Douglas MacArthur, as well as King Alexander of Yugoslavia and many others.

Thus, during the reign of Ataturk, Dolmabahce Palace became primarily a place for official meetings and events benefiting the country, and only secondarily it was a unique historical site.

Dolmabahçe Mosque (Dolmabahçe Camii)

A little south of the beautiful Istanbul Dolmabahce Palace, the mosque of the same name is comfortably located. The building was designed by the famous architect Karpet Balyan. Construction of the shrine started in 1853. Its initiator was Bezm-i-Alem, the mother of Padishah Abdul-Mejid the First. It is for this reason that the building is also called the Bezm-i-Alem Mosque. Unfortunately, Valide Sultan did not live to see the completion of the project, and her son continued and completed her work.

Dolmabahce is a beautiful mosque with Baroque style decoration. Its lush, even slightly pompous interior is more reminiscent of palace halls for ceremonial receptions. The most memorable detail of the mosque, which gives it originality and uniqueness, is the huge arched window openings. The base of the structure is square. The length of one wall is 25 meters.

There is only one dome, but, according to tradition, there are two minarets and each of them has its own balcony. Due to the fact that the Bezm-i-Alem mosque became part of a full-fledged palace complex, it was decided to add a maksura to it - a two-tier extension intended for the prayers of the padishah. The ruler's safety was ensured by a closed balcony. The decor of the room combined the Empire and Baroque styles.

The mihram and mimbar of the shrine are distinguished by their bright red porphyry coating.

For some time, the religious monastery housed a museum exhibition dedicated to naval affairs. During this period, the building suffered significant damage. Then the mosque was restored, and it again opened its doors to believers. The last restoration of the building took place at the beginning of the 21st century.

Dolmabahce Clock Tower

On the way to the Dolmabahce Mosque, you can look into the clock tower, which was ordered to be built by ruler Abdul Hamid II. Its construction took place from 1890 to 1895. Sarkis Balyan was invited as an architect, who chose the Ottoman neo-Baroque style for his creation. The tower is comfortably located in a public garden behind Dolmabahce, not far from Hazine Kapısı (Treasure Gate), which opens access to the palace

The decoration for the tower is a tughra - the monogram of Padishah Abdul Hamid II, applied on both sides of the building. The clock for the tower was made to order by French craftsmen from the workshop of Jean Paul Garnier. The clock mechanism was installed and started by Johann Mayer. Over time, the mechanism, of course, began to malfunction, and in the 80s of the 20th century it was decided to modernize it using modern electronics.

Clock Museum (Saat Müzesi)

Exhibits of the clock museum in Dolmabahce

The Clock Museum, which is located in the garden area of the palace Harem, is of great interest to guests of Dolmabahce. The building houses a luxurious exhibition of exclusive jewelry belonging to the National Watch Collection. The exhibition of watch mechanisms consists of 71 exhibits. In addition to them, the museum contains interesting items self made, created by famous Turkish masters.

Museum of Painting and Sculpture (Resimve Heykel Müzesi)

Exhibits of the Museum of Painting in Dolmabahce

In Dolmabahce Palace, as many as 20 luxurious rooms are given over to the exhibition of the greatest examples of painting and sculpture. This complex was opened in the late 30s of the 20th century, and currently the exhibition includes over 3,000 exhibits. Today the halls are being actively reconstructed, but there is talk that the museum may be moved to another building.

Opening hours and cost of visiting

Dolmabahce Palace is open to the public on weekdays, closed on Mondays and the first days of traditional holidays.

Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since the museum has a visiting quota of 3,000 people per day, it is worth arriving for the tour in the first half of the day to get on the tour. The last excursion group of the day departs at 15:30.

Excursions take place only with a guide (it is forbidden to move around the palace on your own) in English or Turkish; information booklets can be found in Russian. New excursion group departs every 15-20 minutes.

Cost of visiting Dolmabahce Palace:

Full excursion Selamlık – Harem – mosque – clock museum – 90 liras
Full excursion to Selamlık - 60 liras
Harem, mosque and clock museum – 40 liras
Collection Museum – 20 liras

You can take an audio guide - you will need to leave a passport (or $100) as a deposit; the rental of the audio guide itself is free.

The ticket office is located next to the Clock Tower entrance.

Museum opening hours and admission prices may vary slightly depending on the season.

Excursion routes of the Dolmabahce Palace Museum

The decoration of the halls of Dolmabahce amazes with its splendor

There are two main excursion routes, for each of which you can purchase individual tickets or buy a single ticket for a full route.

The first route Selamlık (Selamlık is the official part of the palace) - involves a tour of the ceremonial part of the palace. It was here that the Sultan lived and worked, as well as his male subjects.

The second Haremlik route (Haremlik is a private, family part of the palace) - involves a tour of the chambers of the Sultan's wives and female relatives of his family.

Each route lasts about an hour.

Please note that photography and videography are prohibited in the palace, and independent travel is also prohibited.

How to get to Dolmabahce Palace

If you are staying in the Sultanahmet area, then you can take the T1 tram to the Kabataş stop, and then walk along the embankment for 5 minutes.

From Taksim Square you can take a funicular, also to the Kabataş stop.

From other parts of the city, you can take a bus or ferry to Kabataş or Beşiktaş pier, and then walk.

Dolmabahce Palace on the map:

For those who want to relax after the excursion and let new impressions sink in, we suggest warming up with a cup of hot tea while looking at the Bosphorus in a cafe on the territory of the Dolmabahce Palace itself.

Saat Kule Cafeteria

Cafe overlooking the Bosphorus, next to Dolmabahce Palace

Located in the outer garden, next to the Clock Tower, Saat Kule Café attracts visitors with magnificent views of the Bosphorus. Here you can take a break before a portion of new impressions, looking at the blue waves of the strait and the ships cutting through them. The smell of the sea and seagulls are included.

The prices in the cafe menu are quite affordable, so if after visiting Dolmabahce you are going to continue your excursion route outside of it, you can have a snack here: Turkish tea from 3 liras, coffee from 7 liras, simit 1.75 liras, salads from 10 liras. The cafe menu includes not only hamburgers, pizza, but also manti, kofte, soup and much more. The cafe is open every day from 9-00.

Name " Dolmabahce” was given to the palace due to the fact that even before the construction of the palace this place was a bay, which in the 17th century was filled with earth and a beautiful garden was built. And later a wooden pavilion was built on this territory ( summer palace), which became the predecessor Dolmabahce(“dolma” means “filled, poured”, and “bakhche” means garden).

History of the palace Dolmabahce

The current building of the palace was built in 1842 - 1853 by order of Sultan Abdulmecid I. The main architect who designed this palace was Karabet Balyan from the then famous Balyan family of architects of Armenian origin. Castle was built during the period of “Europeanization” or “Westernization” of the Ottoman Empire. This period is called Tanzimat (from 1839 to 1876) and, unlike previous reforms, the main place in Tanzimat was occupied not by military, but by socio-economic transformations. These reforms were most clearly reflected in architecture. Ottoman architecture came under the influence of excessive Western decoration. Baroque, Rococo, Empire and other styles mixed with Ottoman art.

Dolmabahce is a symbol of the heyday and at the same time the decline of the Ottoman Empire

After the construction of the palace in 1853, the entire court headed by the Sultan moved from to the new castle. And after the fall of the monarchy and the proclamation of the Turkish Republic (October 29, 1923), Mustafa Kemal Ataturk also lived in the palace for some time; here he died on November 10, 1938 at 09.05, which is why all the clocks in the palace are stopped and show 09.05. Castle is a two-story and partly three-story rectangular building located on an area of 250,000 square meters. It has 285 rooms and 43 halls, one of which is a very large banquet hall (Ceremonial Hall or Muayede Salon) and is used to this day for interviews and negotiations state level. The palace is divided into two parts: the front part (Selyamlyk - marked on the plan in pink) in color and the personal part of the Sultan and his family (Harem - indicated on the plan in red).

Palace Plan

Designations of objects on the plan

Bezm-i-Alem Valide Sultan Mosque

Mosque(also known as Bezm-i-Alem Valide Sultan) is located 50 meters southwest of main entrance of the palace. Construction of the mosque began in 1853, immediately after the completion of the palace. The mosque was built by order of Sultan Abdulmecid's mother, Bezmialem Valide Sultan, but unfortunately, she died very soon and the mosque was completed by her son in 1855. The architect of the palace mosque, as well as during the construction of the palace, was Karapet Balyan. The mosque is part of the palace complex, therefore its architecture and design are in the same style - it was built in the Baroque style and decorated in the Empire style.

Museum opening hours:

Every day, except Mondays and Thursdays from 9.00 to 16.00.

Admission:

All parts of the palace - 40 liras.
Only Selamlyk (the front part of the palace) – 30 liras.
Only (Harem + Glass Pavilion + Clock Museum) – 20 liras

You can visit the palace only as part of a group accompanied by a palace guide. Therefore, if you came to the palace on your own, you may have to wait until the group is gathered.

It is forbidden to take photographs and shoot videos inside the palace (only with special permission, for an additional fee), photography is only allowed in the garden.

Photo of the Palace Dolmabahce

The main entrance of the palace and the Swan Fountain. The facade of the palace from the sea.
The swan fountain of the palace is the main decoration of the park. One of the 6 hammams of the palace, made of onyx

Dolmabahce Palace is located in Istanbul, in one of the most picturesque areas of the city - Besiktas. This area in the European part of the city offers magnificent views of the Bosphorus, the Bosphorus Bridge, and the gardens of Beyoğlu. The history of Dolmabahce Palace dates back to the mid-19th century, because it was built by order of Sultan Abdulmecid I, who ordered the construction of a new residence in the Baroque style, which would be grander and more monumental than the best European palaces of that time. Before this, for many years (since the 15th century), the residence of the Turkish sultans was the Topkapi Palace - the greatest Istanbul medieval complex, which today is one of the most famous museums peace. We will prepare a separate article about it.

Dolmabahce Palace was built in just 13 years (construction began in 1843 and ended in 1856). Construction cost the Turkish treasury 5 million pounds in gold, and another 14 tons of pure gold and 40 tons of silver were spent on decorating the interiors of the palace. Over the course of several years, the palace complex grew to 45 thousand square meters.

Dolmabahce Palace became home to 6 Turkish sultans (from 1856 to 1924). The last ruler whose residence was the Dolmabahce Palace was Caliph Abdulmecid Effendi. By special decree of March 3, 1924, the palace was transferred to the department of the Turkish Republic as an object national heritage. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first president of the Turkish Republic, used the palace as summer residence and venues for particularly important events. It was in Dolmabahce Palace that Atatürk spent last days his life and died in his room on November 10, 1938. By the way, sometimes tourists are puzzled by the fact that all the clocks in the palace show the same time - 09:05 am. The answer lies in the fact that it was at this time that Mustafa Kemal died in the palace.

From then until September 2007, Dolmabahce Palace was a museum, when the Turkish parliament returned it to its intended palace status. Since 2007, Dolmabahce Palace has been the official residence of the Prime Minister of Turkey in Istanbul.

Dolmabahce Palace is the most Grand Palace in Turkey. The complex, located on a huge area of 45,000 square meters, has 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths (hamam) and 68 toilet rooms. The architecture of the palace combines elements of Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles, mixed with traditional Ottoman architecture to create unique style. The interior decoration of the palace demonstrates the growing influence of European styles and Tanzimat era art in Turkey at that time.

Traditionally, a tour of Dolmabahce Palace consists of 2 parts. The first is Selamlik - part of the public chambers in the palace, adapted for receiving guests and holding official events. The word Selamlik means “place of greeting” in Turkish. Traditionally, Selamlik is the chambers of the man, the owner of the house. The second is the Harem - that part of the Turkish house (or residence) where servants, children and women live. The word “harem” translated from Arabic (haram) means “forbidden”, “inviolable”. Entrance to each of the two parts of the palace is paid separately. Entrance to Selamlik costs 30 TL, to Harem - 20 TL. Those wishing to visit both parts can use a single ticket, which costs 40 TL.

A tour of Dolmabahce Palace takes a lot of time, so for those who have limited time, we advise you to visit only Selamlik, which is more interesting and large-scale, and leave the harem for another time. The palace has 3 main entrances - 2 from the city side, another one for those arriving by ship from the Bosphorus side, and in total there are 12 gates in the complex. Ticket offices are located on the Kabatas side - at the end of the palace complex near the tram stop. The Saltanat Kapisi (Sultan's Gate) is located here. Even before entering the palace grounds, you can admire the flower clock and the magnificent entrance group, which was previously used only by sultans and ministers. Every Tuesday afternoon in the summer, the Mehter Ensemble, a traditional Ottoman military band, performs here and on other days gives concerts at the Atatürk War Museum on Cumhuriyet Caddesi.

The second entrance is located in the center of the palace (entrance from the avenue) a little further from the Swan Fountain - the Hazine-i Hassa Kapısı gate (treasure gate). Here you can spend a little time and watch the parade of the honor guard, which takes place every hour.

On the territory of the complex there is the Dolmabahce Mosque, which was founded by order of Valide Sultan in 1853, and after her death was completed by her son Sultan Abdulmecid. The height of the mosque's minarets is over 40 meters.

In front of the Sultan's Gate of the palace there is another landmark of Istanbul - the Dolmabahçe Clock Tower (Dolmabahçe Saat Kulesi). Construction of the tower was ordered by Sultan Abdulhamid II and completed in 1895. The tower is made in the New Baroque style. Its height is 27 meters.

Tours of Dolmabahce Palace take place every 25 minutes, but you will not find a Russian group here. The guides work either in English or Turkish, and the tour itself runs at a very fast pace, so those who like to stroll leisurely and enjoy the beauty are better off taking a personal guide or walking on their own.

Please note that Dolmabahce Palace has a daily visitor quota of no more than 3,000 people. All palaces and pavilions are closed on Mondays and Thursdays. Dolmabahce Palace is open from 9 am to 4 pm, however ticket offices close after selling the daily quota of tickets. Let us remind you that the cost of a visit to Selamlik is 30 TL, to Harem is 20 TL, and a pass to visit both parts of the palace is 40 TL.

SELAMLIK

Selamlik is the male half of the palace, which is also called Mabeyn-i Humayun (Mabeyn-i Humayun). Here the sultans of the Ottoman Empire were engaged in matters of national importance.

The first hall you enter is called Medhal (medhal - entrance). Here they will tell you about the history of the palace and provide statistical data. Under the ceiling you will see amazing beauty chandelier and 60 branches. Historically, visitors to this hall were greeted by the palace's chief of protocol and escorted to an audience.

The tour then goes through the secretariat room, the lobby and the exhibition hall with a magnificent collection of crystal, porcelain and precious metals. Then you will find yourself in a small palace mosque and go out into the hall to the Crystal Staircase, along which you will go up to the second floor.

There you will find probably the most luxurious hall of the palace - the Sufer Hall (embassy hall), where ambassadors of foreign states awaited a meeting with the Sultan, and the nearby Kyrmyzy salon (red hall) was used for important negotiations. In the center of the hall lie a huge Iranian carpet with an area of almost 90 square meters, a pair of bear skins, one of which was donated by Tsar Nicholas II, and the second was bought by the Sultan for symmetry. A two-ton chandelier hangs from the ceiling. The Sultan's chambers are located in this part of the palace. After this, you will be taken to the ceremonial hall Muaed Salon (formal hall). Here the Sultan received heads of state, held official ceremonies and special events. Up to 2,500 people could be in this hall at the same time. The dome of the hall is supported by 56 columns, and the largest and heaviest chandelier in the world hangs from the ceiling - a gift from Queen Victoria.

In some rooms of the palace hang originals by the famous artist Aivazovsky, commissioned by Sultan Abdul-Aziz. For 40 paintings with images of the Bosphorus, the artist received the highest award of the empire - the Order of Osman with Diamonds. It is interesting that a few years after this, as a sign of protest against the massacre carried out by the Sultan in 1894-1896, Aivazovsky threw this order into the sea.

The architecture of the Dolmabahçe Palace turned out to be unique also because for the first time in the history of the Ottoman Empire, the harem premises were in the same building with the male half of the palace. The interiors of the harem, of course, are inferior to the interiors of the selamlik in luxury. It was here that the personal life of the monarch’s family took place. The harem contains many rooms of the Sultan, the chambers of his wives, concubines, heirs and mother, as well as the Pink Hall (Pembe Salonu), where the inhabitants of the harem gathered, as well as the Mavi Salonu - the place where Valide Sultan received the wives and favorites of her son on religious holidays. Tourists often pay attention to the bedroom of Sultan Abdul-Aziz, his custom-made bed (the Sultan was obese and weighed more than 150 kilograms), as well as the offices and premises in which Mustafa Kemal Atatürk worked.

HOW TO GET THERE

Getting to Dolmabahce Palace will not be difficult even for those who are not familiar with Istanbul infrastructure. To get to the palace from the areas of Sultanahmet, Aksaray, Lyaleli, Zeytinburnu and the areas of Eminonu, Sirkeci and Karakoy, it is enough to take the T1 high-speed tram to the Kabatas station. Next, you need to walk (in the direction of the tram) for 5-10 minutes along the shore of the Bosphorus and get to the Sultan’s Gate of the palace.

To get to the palace from the “upper” part of the city (Taksim Square and the surrounding area, Sisli, Beyoglu), you need to take the funicular from Taksim Square to Kabatas station and from there follow the above route to the palace. You can also get to the palace from the piers of Kabatas (the same route), as well as Besiktas (you need to walk towards Kabatas).

From Ortakoy Mosque and the Bosphorus Bridge you can take passing buses (which go to Taksim and Besiktas), as well as numerous dolmus and taxis. The taxi fare will be 10-15 TL.

HOW IT WORKS AND HOW MUCH IT COSTS

Dolmabahce Palace is open every day except Monday and Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm. Please note that the palace has an attendance limit of 3,000 people per day. After selling this number of tickets, the box office closes. The cost of a ticket to Selamlik is 30 TL, to Harem - 20 TL. A subscription to visit both exhibitions costs 40 TL.

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