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A different look at the Ottomans – Guided Istanbul tours
The Palace of Dolmabahce, completed in 1856, is the third largest Ottoman palace in Istanbul and the last one built by the Sultans. Located on and offering great views of the Bosphorus, this amazing palace is poles apart from the other Ottoman palace – Topkapi. It is a great place to offer a more modern yet historic view of Turkey. Dolmabahce Palace is simply beautiful. It is very European and grand. It can easily be your favourite destination in the guided Istanbul tours and in your top list for Istanbul sightseeings.
During the six hundred years of Ottoman rule, the seat of the empire changed several times. Fist it was Bursa then Edirne and later to Istanbul. The site of the imperial ‘palace’, centre of Ottoman government, changed also over the centuries in Istanbul itself. Dolmabahce Palace was built between 1843 and 1856. It hosted some sultans as the main administrative centre of the Ottoman Empire from 1856 to 1922; apart from 1889-1909 interval in which the Yildiz Palace was used. Up until the mid-19th century, Topkapi Palace used to be the residence for the sultans. It is still bearing the medieval lifestyle and thus not meeting the mundane needs. Dolmabahce Palace, in that respect, is part of the modernization attempt of the Royal family in architectural terms.