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Dolmabahce Palace vs Beylerbeyi Palace

Dolmabahce Palace and Beylerbeyi Palace are both recommended by experts. Overall, Dolmabahce Palace ranks significantly better than Beylerbeyi Palace. Dolmabahce Palace scores 92 with approval from 7 reviewers such as Afar Magazine, Frommer's and Let's Go.

Dolmabahce Palace
Dolmabahce Palace
9 / 10
Dolmabahce Besiktas Istanbul, Istanbul 34357, Turkey
From $0 /night
Fodor's Fodor's
"The name Dolmabahçe means "filled-in garden," from the fact that Sultan Ahmet I (ruled 1603–17) had an imperial garden planted here on land reclaimed from the sea." Full review
Concierge Concierge
"Often overlooked by visitors, this is one of Istanbul's most lavish and extravagant attractions."
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"These days it’s fashionable for architects and critics influenced by the less-is-more aesthetic of the Bauhaus masters to sneer at buildings such as Dolmabahçe." Full review
Let's Go Let's Go
"It has 285 rooms, 68 toilets, 44 halls, and six hamams." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
2 Stars
"Generously deployed pomp and riches... provide a certain cohesion, in which it's possible to conjure up the decadent life of a sultan." Full review
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Beylerbeyi Palace
Beylerbeyi Palace
8 / 10
Abdullah Aga Caddesi, Istanbul, Turkey
From $0 /night
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"Under the bridge on the European shore is the green-and-cream-coloured Balyan Usta Yalı , built in the 1860s by architect Sarkis Balyan." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
2 Stars
"This palace is one of the architectural fantasies of the last sultans."
Fodor's Fodor's
"Like a mini-Dolmabahçe that incorporates a similarly eclectic mix of European and Turkish styles but is smaller, less grandiose, and has more of a personal feel." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
2 Stars
"This former summer palace, clad in marble and surrounded by gardens, was built in 1865 for the Sultan Abdülaziz (1830-1876) and hosted guests such as Empress Eugénie of France." Full review
Afar Magazine Afar Magazine
"Beylerbeyi Palace (Beylerbeyi Sarayı)This beautiful 19th-century palace on the Asian shoreline near the First Bosphorus Bridge served as a summer retreat for sultans and visiting dignitaries." Full review
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