Experts' Choice Award Dolmabahce Palace
What the experts agree on
Dolmabahçe dazzles with sheer scale and opulence—285 rooms of European-style pomp and gilded excess that conjure up a sultan's decadent lifestyle, though minimalist purists may scoff.
“The Dolmabahçe (“dol-ma-bah-chey”) Palace is European through and through.”
– Afar Magazine
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 "Often overlooked by visitors, this is one of Istanbul's most lavish and extravagant attractions."
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 "It has 285 rooms, 68 toilets, 44 halls, and six hamams." Full review
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
Frommer's "The extravagant collection of objets d'art represents just a small percentage of items presented to the occupants of the palace over the years." Full review
Rough Guide "The district's cultural highlights include the magnificent Dolmabahçe Palace, a masterpiece of 19th-century Ottoman architecture surrounded by immaculate gardens"
Independent "More was clearly more for Sultan Abdül Mecit I, who upped sticks from his traditional Ottoman court at the Topki Palace in favour of the dizzyingly opulent, European-inspired Dolmabahçe,..."
Independent "Dolmabahçe Palace (TL1500/£34) served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire, the extravagant European-inspired residence that took over from Topkapı Palace in the 19th century"
Lonely Planet "Weighing in at nearly 4536kg, the crystal chandelier hanging over the Ceremonial Hall of Dolmabahçe Palace exemplifies the opulence of this royal residence, which was commissioned in the..."
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