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Dolmabahce Palace vs Blue Mosque

Both Blue Mosque and Dolmabahce Palace are praised by experts. On balance, Blue Mosque scores slightly higher than Dolmabahce Palace. Blue Mosque comes in at 94 with endorsements from 7 reviews such as Time Out, Let's Go and Michelin Guide.

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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Blue Mosque
Blue Mosque
9 / 10
Sultanahmet, Istanbul 222, Turkey
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Frommer's Frommer's
"This grand bubble of masonry, one of the great and defining features of Istanbul's skyline, was constructed between 1609 and 1617 by Sultan Ahmet I." Full review
Lonely Planet Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"With his eponymously named mosque, Sultan Ahmet I (r1603–17) set out to build a monument that would rival and even surpass the nearby Aya Sofya in grandeur and beauty." Full review
Fodor's Fodor's
"Only after you enter the Blue Mosque do you understand the name... this mosque feels gloriously airy and full of light." Full review
Let's Go Let's Go
"Intricately decorated with the blue Iznik porcelain tiles responsible for the mosque’s name, this mosque feels a bit like being inside a colossal blue china teapot." Full review
Michelin Guide Michelin Guide
3 Stars
"This jewel of the 17C has retained its vocation as a place of worship... the over-riding effect here is one of grace and solemnity." Full review
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