Dolmabahce Palace History

Between 1843 and 1856, Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid (1839-1861) constructed Dolmabahce Palace Istanbul on an area of 110,000 square metres. The fact that it was built on the brink of the Bosphorus was taken as proof that the Ottomans had broken the traditional link to the past. They used to rule the empire from Topkapi Palace and the Historical Peninsula, as you know.

From 1856, when the Ottoman Caliphate was disbanded, Dolmabahce Palace was home to six sultans and the final Ottoman Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi. Between 1927 and 1938, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of the Turkish Republic, studied in the palace in Istanbul and died here on November 10, 1938. As a result, the palace holds a special place in the hearts of the Turkish people. Between 1926 to 1984, the palace was half open to protocol and visits, and after 1984, it was finally opened to the public as a museum.

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Things to See in Dolmabahce Palace

Unlike Topkapi Palace, Dolmabahce Palace was constructed as a one huge edifice with multiple pavilions and a large park surrounding it. On the land side, it was encircled by high walls. There are two main gates and seven smaller gates, as well as five ports on the seashore side. Dolmabahce Palace’s gardens and gates are particularly stunning. The gates are among the best examples of metalwork and are extremely thrilling.

Over 50,000 artefacts are housed in the palace’s hundreds of chambers. The palace’s interior is designed in the style of wealthy European palaces and depicts the era’s grandeur. The colossal crystal stairwells and chandeliers, as well as the enormous oil paintings and sofas, are all very appealing. The palace’s priceless watches will pique your interest.

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How to Get to Dolmabahce Palace Istanbul

From Sultanahmet, you can take the tram to Dolmabahce Palace. You can get out at the last stop, Kabatas, if you ride the tram from Sultanahmet Tram Station in the direction of “Kabatas.” The palace is only a five-minute walk from Kabatas Tram Station.

You can ride Funicular F1 from Taksim Square to Kabatas in minutes to go to Dolmabahce Palace. Following the shoreline from Kabatas Tram Station will take you to the palace in a few minutes.

Dolmabahce Palace Map

Dolmabahce Palace Opening Hours

Dolmabahce Palace is open from 9:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. The ticket offices close 60 minutes before the doors close. The last opportunity to enter is at 17:00. Please note that Mondays are closed at Dolmabahce Palace.

Dolmabahce Palace Entrance Fee

As of 2021, the entrance cost to Dolmabahce Palace is 120 Turkish Liras. You will have to spend an additional 90 TL to visit the Dolmabahce Palace Harem. The combination ticket is 150 TL and includes both the palace and the harem. An audio guide is included in the ticket fee.

There is also a combo ticket available for 200 Turkish Lira. This ticket also includes a portion titled “Museum of Palace Collections,” which features artworks placed on top of the locations specified in the previous lines.

Basilica Cistern Museum

The Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan in Turkish, which implies “sinking to the ground”), which today serves as a museum, is one of the most beautiful mystical structures and famous museums in Istanbul, as well as one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions. One of the city’s most stunning and magical structures. The two Medusa Heads, which serve as supports beneath the two columns at the cistern’s northwest side, are the most interesting and draw the most attention.

Hagia Sophia

Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya in Turkish) is one of the most visited sites and famous museums in Istanbul. Hagia Sophia is a former church and museum that has been designated as one of the world’s greatest architectural achievements and is regarded as the world’s eighth wonder. Constructed as a church in 325, Hagia Sophia was renovated in 537 and transformed to a mosque in 1453 by Fatih Sultan Mehmet following the conquest of Istanbul.

After Turkey’s administrative court reversed a 1934 judgement that paved the way for Hagia Sophia’s usage as a museum, a decree on the 10th of July 2020 to legally classify the Hagia Sophia as a mosque was issued.

Topkapi Palace Museum

Topkapi Palace, one of the top museums in Istanbul, might be regarded the best and most visited sights in Istanbul. It is a spectacular oriental palace and one of the best architectural works, located on a triangular promontory overlooking the Bosphorus and Golden Horn.

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Istanbul Archaeology Museums

One of the world’s best archaeology museums, with a tremendous set of prehistoric, Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman antiquities, sculptures, and sarcophagi, and one of the best museums in Istanbul, with an enormous gathering go back to the earliest civilizations and realize how far humans have come, and see the gathering of prehistoric, Sumerian, Egyptian, Greek, Hellenistic,

Dolmabahce Palace Museum

Dolmabahce Palace Museum, one of the famous museums in Istanbul, is a majestic structure located on the banks of the Bosphorus in Besiktas. It was the home of the final six Ottoman Sultans, as well as Ataturk, the Turkish Republic’s founder. The Dolmabahce palace is built in white marble and has a basic European baroque style with an exotic feel.

On the shores of the Bosphorus in Besiktas, one of the most magnificent palaces. The entire palace complex is breathtaking. Over 50,000 artefacts are housed in the palace’s hundreds of chambers. The palace’s interior is designed in the style of wealthy European palaces and depicts the era’s grandeur.

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art

Istanbul Modern, also known as the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, was Turkey’s first private museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art. One of Istanbul’s top museums, particularly for fans of modern art. Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, one of the top museums in Istanbul, opened in 2004 on an 8,000-square-meter property in Karakoy, near the Bosphorus. The museum has recently risen to prominence as Turkey’s most famous and prestigious modern art museum.

Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts

The Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts is enlisted in famous museums in Istanbul that exhibits both Turkish and Islamic art. It is located in Sultanahmet, at the Ibrahim Pasha Palace (one of the most famous buildings of Ottoman civil architecture in the 16th century). The museum was the last to open during the Ottoman Empire, and it houses about 40,000 objects in its carpet, manuscript, wood, glass-metal-ceramic, and ethnographic divisions.

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Chora Museum Istanbul

The Chora Mosque (previously Church-Museum), Kariye in Turkish, is one of Istanbul’s most magnificent heritage landmarks. It is part of a monastery that dates back to the 6th century. Chora is home to some of the most stunning Byzantine mosaics and frescoes. Nowadays, it enjoys the reputation of being the best museums in Istanbul.

Private Sakip Sabancı Fine Arts Museum

The Sakip Sabanci Museum, enlisted in the most famous museums in Istanbul, is a private fine arts museum that has exceptional Ottoman treasures and provides visitors with a museological experience. The museum, which is housed in a lovely white home on the Bosphorus shore in Emirgan neighborhood, was founded in 2002 to honor the memory of the great Turkish businessman Sakip Sabanci (1933-2004). The museum features displays of Ottoman calligraphy, religious and governmental documents, Ottoman paintings, archaeology and stone works, and a woodwork and modern art collection.

Miniature Turkey Museum

A magnificent open-air museum that displays miniature versions of Turkey’s most famous sights and architectural masterpieces. You’ll witness small versions of Turkey’s most famous landmarks and structures, scaled down to 1/25 of their actual sizes. The Istanbul Crystal Museum and the Panorama Victory Museum are both located within the museum.