Dolmabahce Palace

"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

"Often overlooked by visitors, this is one of Istanbul's most lavish and extravagant attractions."

"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

"It has 285 rooms, 68 toilets, 44 halls, and six hamams." Full review

"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