Saturday October 12, 2019
ISTANBUL, Turkey – “No photos,” said the security man in a gruff, stern and loud voice.
“No,” responded a young girl wearing a traditional Islamic head wrap. “But, I must take photos.”
That seemed to be the prevalent attitude of visitors to the Dolmabahçe Palace on the banks of the Bosphorus Strait. This place is truly magnificent and how could you not snap away like a mad person.
If I thought Topkapi Place, residence of sultans for 380 years was outstanding, this place blows that away. Built during the reign of Sultan Abdulmedia (1839-1861), the palace was home to six sultans from 1856 to 1924. The building opened as a museum in 1984 and contains its original furnishings.
The first impression is a comparison to Versailles, and each structure features similar gold plating and full mirrors. What distinguishes the Dolmabahce from the Grand Palace (1782) in Bangkok, Versailles and others is the appointment of rooms. The furnishings, carpet, wallpaper, widow treatments and lightning all interact to give a transcendental presence.
The main structure contains two floors and divided into three functional units. These include, the administrative center, and that’s where the affairs of state were discussed. There’s The Privy, or Harem, where the sultan and his family lived and the Grand Ceremonial Hall used for receptions. In all, the palace has 285 rooms, 44 halls, 68 toilets and six Turkish baths and represents an area of 47 million square feet.
What makes this palace appealing is that Sultan Abdulmecid used imperial architects as well as Europeans during construction in the mid-19th century. The result was a combination of Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Classicism and Ottoman style to fuse a style unique and compelling.
Equally impressive are the grounds. The palace was built on the waterfront and views from inside looking out are captivating. Entrances to the property, both at two gates from land and two from the water, hold a commanding attention.
It’s hard not to consider Dolmabahce as perhaps the most striking palace in the world.
From the palace grounds, we walked a few blocks to our favorite T1 tram. Then, transfer to the Marmarary line out to Florya Akvaryum, the metro stop Erol, from the tourist office, told us to visit.
On the tram, we heard a voice, “hello.”
Now, who do we know among 15 million in Istanbul? Turned out this was Erol’s girlfriend, whom we met on the day before at the tourist office. She told us she was flying back to St. Petersburg for her job in IT but coming back to Istanbul for the Christmas holidays. We wished well and expressed surprise that we ran into her on a very crowded tram.
Arriving, we discovered a modern shopping mall with many American storefronts including, Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s, KrispyKreme and ColdStone, plus an aquarium. Next to the ColdStone operation, there was an information panel on how the company began and its origins in Tempe. Nice touch of Arizona here in Turkey.
After walking the mall and popping in and out of stores, we settled on dinner. Waynette ordered pasta and I took chicken schnitzel. We also shared a salad and Waynette had a ColdStone delight for dessert. I found a few miniature eclairs in a mall bakery and we took a 9:30 Marmarary train back across the metro area. Erol took us the Marmarary line is 72 kilometers long and the ride back from Florya Akvaryum took 1 hour and 15 minutes.
For Sunday, our last full day in Istanbul, we’ll probably hit a few museums. We have a museum pass good for 14 museums and would like to receive value. On the last night here, we’re planning a send-end off from Kadikoy on the Asian side and that’s our favorite Istanbul neighborhood.
Another physical day and we did 7 and one-half miles, about 16,200 steps.
PICTURES – Images from Dolmabahce Palace and a spectacular sunset over the Sea of Marmara
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