Location: Dolmabahce Cad, Besiktas, Istanbul Map
Constructed: 1843- 56
Used: 1856- 1922
Tel. +90 (212) 236 9000
(212) 327 2626
Bus: 25E, 40
Open: Mar- Sep: 9am- 4pm Tue, Wed &
Fri- Sun
Oct- Feb: 9am- 3pm Tue, Wed & Fri- Sun
Dolmabahçe Palace is an Ottoman palace located in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, between Dolmabahçe Street extending from Kabataş to Beşiktaş and the Bosphorus, on an area of 250,000 m². It is located on the left bank at the sea entrance to the Bosphorus from the Marmara Sea, opposite Üsküdar and Kuzguncuk. The construction of the palace, built by Sultan Abdülmecid, started in 1843 and was completed in 1856. Today it is used as a museum.
The area where Dolmabahçe Palace is located today was
a large bay on the Bosphorus where the Ottoman Admiral's ships anchored
until four centuries ago. This bay, where traditional maritime
ceremonies were held, became a swamp over time. The bay, which started
to be filled in the 17th century, was turned into a "hasbahçe"
(hadayik-hassâ) for the rest and entertainment of the sultans. The
collection of mansions and pavilions built in this garden in various
periods was known as "Beşiktaş Beach Palace" for a long time.
Towards the second half of the 18th century, Western influences began to
be seen in Turkish architecture, and the form of decoration called
"Turkish Rococo" began to show itself in neobaroque style mansions,
pavilions and public fountains, which were also built under Western
influence. Sultan III. Selim is the sultan who had the first buildings
built in Western style on the Bosphorus. He had architect Antoine Ignace
Melling build a pavilion in Beşiktaş Palace and expanded other
structures he deemed necessary. Sultan II. Apart from Topkapı Sahil
Palace, Mahmut had two large palaces built in Western style in
Beylerbeyi and Çırağan gardens. During these periods, the New Palace
(Topkapı Palace) was considered abandoned, even if it was not actually
there. The palace in Beylerbeyi, Çırağan with its marble columns in
Ortaköy, the old Beşiktaş Palace and the pavilions in Dolmabahçe were
built during World War II. Mahmut's residences changed according to the
seasons. Like his father, Sultan Abdülmecid did not have much regard for
the "New Palace" and only stayed there for a few months during the
winter. Almost all of his more than forty children were born in the
Bosphorus palaces.
After living in the old Beşiktaş Palace for a
while, Sultan Abdülmecid decided to build a palace in European plan and
style for the purpose of residence, summer resort, receiving and
entertaining guests, and conducting state affairs, instead of the
classical palaces preferred so far. Although Abdülmecid did not receive
a good education like other princes, he was an administrator with modern
ideas. The sultan, who loved Western music and living in Western style,
knew enough French to get along. While having the palace built, he said,
"Evil and ugliness are prohibited here, only beautiful things should be
found here." It is narrated that he said.
There is no information
on the exact date when the demolition of the mansions located on the
site of today's Dolmabahçe Palace began, in order to rediscover the land
reclaimed from the sea about 200 years ago. It is estimated that the old
palace was still in place in 1842 and the construction of the new palace
started after this date. However, it is stated that the surrounding
fields and cemeteries were purchased and expropriated in order to expand
the construction land during these dates. Various sources give different
dates regarding the completion date of the construction. However, from
the accounts of a French visitor who visited the palace at the end of
1853, we learn that the decorations of the palace were still being made
and the furniture had not yet been placed.
The facade of
Dolmabahçe Palace, built by Sultan Abdülmecid, extends for 600 meters on
the European shore of the Bosphorus. It was built in an eclectic style,
which is a mixture of European architectural styles, between 1843 and
1855 by Armenian architects Garabet Amira Balyan and her son Nigoğos
Balyan. The opening ceremony of Dolmabahçe Palace, which was completely
completed in 1855, took place after the Treaty of Paris signed with the
Russian Empire on March 30, 1856. In the newspaper Ceride-î Havâdis
dated 7 Shawwal 1272 Hijri, 11 June 1856 Gregorian, it was reported that
the palace was officially opened on 7 June 1856.
When the cost of
the palace, which amounted to three million bags of gold during the
reign of Sultan Abdülmecid, was transferred to the Treasury, the
treasury was in a difficult situation and had to pay the salaries in the
middle of the month instead of at the beginning of the month, and later
every 3-4 months. Sultan Abdülmecid was able to live in Dolmabahçe
Palace, which cost 5,000,000 gold coins, for only 5 years.
During
the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, who took over the Ottoman Empire in a
state of complete economic bankruptcy, the annual expense of the palace,
which served 5,320 people, was 2,000,000 pounds sterling. Sultan
Abdülaziz was not as much a fan of the West as his brother Sultan
Abdülmecid. The sultan, who preferred a modest lifestyle, was interested
in wrestler wrestling and cockfights.
On May 30, 1876, Sultan
Murad V was taken from his apartment in the palace and taken to Bâb-ı
Serasker and the allegiance ceremony was held at the Serasker Gate
(University Central Building). While Murad V was returning from Sirkeci
to Dolmabahçe with his royal boat, Sultan Abdülaziz was being taken to
Topkapı Palace in another boat at the same time. A second allegiance
ceremony was held for Murad V, who was brought to the palace, at the
upper floor table of the Mabeyn Office. Sultan II, who ascended the
throne after Murad V. While the whole city was illuminated with lanterns
in honor of Abdulhamid, only one room in the Dolmabahçe Palace was lit,
and the sultan was working on the text of the constitution. Suspecting
an assassination, Sultan Abdülhamid gave up living in Dolmabahçe Palace
and moved to Yıldız Palace. Sultan Abdulhamid stayed in Dolmabahçe
Palace for only 236 days.
The palace, which was built at great
expense, was used for the holiday ceremonies held in the Grand
Examination Hall twice a year during the 33-year reign of Sultan
Abdulhamid. When Mehmet V came to the throne, Dolmabahçe Palace had been
neglected for thirty years and Sultan II. preferred to live in Yıldız
Palace instead. It was in ruins during the reign of Abdulhamid. When
Dolmabahçe Palace was restored as the administrative center of the
sultan, a comprehensive restoration of the building was needed. Mihran
Mesrobyan was later hired as the chief architect of the restoration.
During the reign of Sultan Mehmet V, the staff of the palace was
reduced, and while very important events took place abroad, few events
took place within the palace during the eight-year period. These events
were a banquet held for 90 people on March 9, 1910, a week-long visit
ceremony of the Serbian King Peter on March 23 of the same year, the
visit of Crown Prince Max, and the banquets held in honor of the
Austrian Emperor Karl and Empress Zita. The tired and old sultan died in
Yıldız Palace, not in Dolmabahçe Palace. VI. Mehmet preferred to live in
Yıldız, but left the homeland from Dolmabahçe Palace.
Abdülmecid
Efendi, who received the telegram signed by Gazi Mustafa Kemal, the head
of the first Turkish Grand National Assembly, was declared caliph. The
new caliph received the delegation from the Turkish Grand National
Assembly on the upper floor of Dolmabahçe's Mabeyn Office Hall. With the
abolition of the Caliphate, Abdülmecid Efendi left Dolmabahçe Palace
with his entourage. (1924) Atatürk did not visit the abandoned palace
for three years. During his reign, the palace gained importance in two
aspects; Foreign guests were hosted in this place, and the palace doors
were opened to the outside in terms of culture and art. Shah Pahlavi of
Iran, King Faisal of Iraq, King Abdullah of Jordan, King Amanullah of
Afghanistan, King Henry VIII of the United Kingdom who came for a
special visit. Edward and Yugoslav King Alexander were hosted by Mustafa
Kemal Atatürk at Dolmabahçe Palace. The First Turkish History Congress
was opened in the Muayede Hall on September 27, 1932, and the First and
Second Turkish Language Congresses were held here in 1934. The European
meeting of the Alliance Internationale de Tourisme, to which the Turkish
Touring and Automobile Association is affiliated, was held in Dolmabahçe
Palace, marking the first time the palace was opened to tourism (1930).
During the Republic period, it became the palace that Atatürk used
as his residence during his visits to Istanbul. Additionally, Atatürk
died in room 71 of the palace. Last respects were paid in front of his
body, which was placed on the catafalque set up in the Examination Hall.
After Atatürk, the palace was used by İsmet İnönü when he came to
Istanbul during his presidency. After the single-party period, the
palace was opened to host foreign guests. Ceremonies and banquets were
held in honor of Italian President Gronchi, Iraqi King Faisal,
Indonesian Prime Minister Sukarno, and French Prime Minister General de
Gaulle.
In 1952, Dolmabahçe Palace was opened to the public once
a week by the National Assembly Administration. Its official opening was
made with the meeting of the National Assembly Presidency Council on 10
July 1964, and it was closed by citing a notification reason with the
letter of the National Assembly Administration Directorate dated 14
January 1971. Dolmabahçe Palace, which was opened to tourism on June 25,
1979, by the order of the President of the National Assembly No. 554,
was closed upon a notice on October 12 of the same year. About two
months later, it started to serve tourism again upon the telephone order
of the President of the National Assembly. The palace was closed to
visitors again by the decision of the MGK Executive Department dated 16
June 1981 and numbered 1.473, and was opened a month later by the order
of the MGK General Secretariat numbered 1.750.
Sections providing
cafeteria services for visitors and souvenir sales departments were
established in the gardens of the Clock Tower, Furnishings Department,
Kuşluk, Harem and Crown Office, and scientific books introducing the
national palaces, various postcards and facsimiles of selected products
from the National Palaces Painting Collection were offered for sale in
these sections. . On the other hand, the Ceremony Hall and the gardens
are reserved for national and international receptions, and with new
arrangements, the palace has been transformed into museum units within
the museum and art and cultural events. The palace has been serving as a
museum since 1984.
Dolmabahçe Palace was conceived on a scale meant to
rival the great European royal residences, yet it cannot be assigned to
any single architectural school. Its design draws on several traditions
at once and treats forms that once had a clear structural purpose as
richly decorative features.
The plan is organized around a monumental
central block flanked by two long wings. That arrangement recalls the
traditional Ottoman palace and the classic Turkish house, with large
central halls surrounded by smaller rooms. At the same time, elements
that once served a practical function, such as columns, pediments, and
projecting avant-corps, are handled in a more theatrical way and used
chiefly for display.
Although Dolmabahçe does not belong to one
defined style, French Baroque, German Rococo, English Neoclassicism, and
Italian Renaissance motifs appear side by side. The result is an
eclectic 19th-century work created while Ottoman society was modernizing
under Western influence. Commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid I during the
Tanzimat era, the palace rose between 1843 and 1856 on the site of the
earlier Beşiktaş waterfront palace. The imperial architects Garabet
Balyan and his son Nigoğayos Balyan, members of the Armenian Balyan
family that dominated late Ottoman court architecture, directed the
project, with additional work by Ohannes Serveryan and others.
The
main building stretches along the Bosphorus for some 600 meters and
covers about 45,000 square meters of floor space. It contains 285 rooms,
more than 40 halls, 6 hammams, and 68 toilets. Functionally it keeps the
traditional Ottoman division of space: the Mabeyn-i Hümayun, or
Selamlık, on one side for state business and male receptions; the
Harem-i Hümayun on the other for the private life of the sultan and his
family; and, between them, the vast Muayede Salonu, or Ceremonial Hall.
That hall covers more than 2,000 square meters, rises under a 36-meter
dome supported by 56 columns, and is lit by a 4.5-ton Bohemian crystal
chandelier. The famous Crystal Staircase, a double horseshoe of Baccarat
crystal, brass, and mahogany, links the principal state rooms.
Exterior walls are stone; interiors combine brick, wood floors, Marmara
marble, Egyptian alabaster, and lavish gold leaf, said to total some 14
tons. Furnishings and decoration were imported from Europe and completed
under the influence of Parisian taste. The palace thus records not only
the artistic fashions of its century but also the technical and social
changes of a state that was trying to present itself as a modern
monarchy while still preserving Ottoman court ritual.
From 1856 it
served as the principal residence of six sultans and the last caliph.
After the founding of the Republic it remained an official residence;
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died there in 1938. Opened to the public as a
museum-palace in 1984, it still stands as the most complete
architectural statement of late Ottoman westernization on the Bosphorus.
Although its western appearance from the sea side,
Dolmabahçe Palace has an eastern appearance as it is surrounded by high
walls on the garden side and consists of separate units, and was built
on a 600 m long marble pier. The distance from the Mabeyn Office (today
the Painting and Sculpture Museum) to the Crown Prince's Office is 284
m. In the middle of this distance is the Ceremony (Examination) Office,
which attracts attention with its height.
Dolmabahçe Palace has a
three-storey, symmetrical plan. It has 285 rooms and 43 halls. The
foundations of the palace were made of chestnut tree logs. In addition
to the dock on the sea side, there are also two monumental gates on the
land side, one of which is very ornate. In the middle of this seaside
palace, surrounded by a well-kept and beautiful garden, there is the
ceremony and ballroom, which is higher than the other sections. The
large, 56-columned reception hall attracts visitors with its enormous
4.5-ton British-made crystal chandelier, illuminated by 750 lights.
The entrance of the palace was used for the Sultan's reception and
negotiations, and the wing on the other side of the ceremony hall was
used as the harem section. Its interior decoration, furniture, silk
carpets and curtains and all other belongings have survived to the
present day, exactly as in the original. Dolmabahçe Palace has a wealth
and magnificence that is not found in any Ottoman palace. The walls and
ceilings are decorated with paintings by European artists of the time
and tons of gold ornaments. In important rooms and halls, everything has
the same color tones. All floors are covered with different, highly
decorated wooden parquets. The famous Hereke silk and wool carpets, the
most beautiful works of Turkish art, are laid in many places. Rare
decorative handicrafts from Europe and the Far East adorn every part of
the palace. Many rooms of the palace feature crystal chandeliers,
candelabra and fireplaces.
The largest ballroom among the palaces
in the world is in this palace. A huge crystal chandelier weighing 4.5
tons hangs from its 36-meter-high dome. This hall, which was used for
important political meetings, congratulations and balls, was previously
heated with an oven-like arrangement below. Heating and electrical
systems were added to the palace between 1910 and 1912, during the reign
of Sultan Mehmet Reşad. Of the six baths, the one in the Selamlik
section is decorated with carved alabaster marbles. The upper galleries
of the large hall are reserved for the orchestra and diplomats.
In the harem section, which can be reached by passing through long
corridors, there are the sultan's bedrooms, the sultan's mother's
section, and other women's and servants' sections. The northern
extension of the palace was allocated to the princes. The building,
whose entrance is in the Beşiktaş district, currently serves as the
Painting and Sculpture Museum. On the outside of the Palace Harem, there
were the Palace Theatre, Istabl-ı Âmire, Hamlacılar, Attiye-i Senniye
Warehouses, aviary kitchen, pharmacy, pastry shop, dessert shop,
bakeries, flour factory and "Bayıldım Mansions".
Dolmabahçe
Palace is located on an area of approximately 250,000 m². The palace,
including almost all of its outbuildings, was filled with sea and 35–40
cm was built on this ground. diameter, 40–45 cm. It was built of masonry
on a 100-120 cm thick, very strong khorasan mortared mattress (raft)
integrated with horizontal beams reinforced by driving oak piles at
intervals. Pile lengths are 7 to 27 m. It varies between . Horizontal
loincloth beams have a rectangular section of 20 x 25 - 20 x 30 cm.
Khorasan mattresses are 1–2 m above the main mass. They are designed to
extend beyond the outside. The foundation mattresses of the demolished
old palaces were repaired and reused. Since they are very solid, none of
them have collapsed, cracked or split.
The foundation and outer
walls of the palace were made of solid stone, the partition walls were
made of blended brick, and the floors, ceilings and roofs were made of
wood. Iron tensioners were used for reinforcement on the body walls.
Solid stones were brought from Haznedar, Safraköy, Şile and Sarıyer. The
brick body walls covered with stuka marble were covered with paneling
using porphyry marble slabs or precious trees. Window joinery is made of
oak timber, and doors are made of mahogany, walnut or more valuable
timber. Çıralı pine timbers were brought from Romania, oak uprights and
beams were brought from Demirköy and Kilyos, and door, paneling and
parquet timbers were brought from Africa and India.
Marmara
marble was used in the masonry domed baths built in Turkish style with
bottom heating, and Egyptian alabaster ore was used in the Hünkâr bath.
Specially manufactured glass that does not transmit ultraviolet rays was
used in the windows. Especially the wall and ceiling decorations in the
places used by the sultan are more than those in other places. Snow and
rainwater collected on the roofs are connected to the sewer system
through streams and gutters. The sewerage network was established with a
sufficient number of pipes, and the wastewater was cleaned through
various processes and discharged into the sea from four different
places.
The interior and exterior decorations of Dolmabahçe
Palace were made using a combination of motifs taken from various art
periods of the West. Baroque, Rococo and Empire motifs were used
intertwined. In the construction of the palace, marble of a color
similar to blue extracted from the Marmara Islands was used, and in the
interior decoration, works were carried out with precious marbles and
stones such as alabaster, crystal and porphyry. An eclectic approach
prevails in interior decorations as well as in exterior decorations. The
wall and ceiling decorations of the palace were made by Italian and
French artists. Gold powder was mostly used in interior decorations. The
paintings were made on plaster and plaster, and dimensional surfaces
were created with perspectival architectural compositions in wall and
ceiling decorations. The interior decoration of the palace was enriched
by additions over the course of history, and the halls and rooms gained
a special value, especially with the gifts of foreign statesmen and
commanders. A foreign artist named Séchan worked on the decoration and
furnishing of the palace. In addition to European style (Regence, Louis
XV, Louis XVI, Vienna-Thonet) and Turkish style furniture, the cushions,
mattresses and throws seen in the palace rooms show that the traditional
Turkish lifestyle was maintained. In documents dated 1857, it was stated
that Séchan was awarded a decoration for his success and that he should
be paid three million francs.
All upholstery and curtain fabrics
were local and produced in the palace's weaving mills. 141 carpets and
115 prayer rugs decorate the parquet floors of the palace (an area of
approximately 4,500 m²). Most of the carpets were produced on the looms
in Hereke factories. The total number of Bohemia, Bakara and Beykoz
chandeliers is 36. The material of footed candlesticks, some fireplaces,
crystal stair railings and all mirrors is crystal. There are also 581
candlesticks made of crystal and silver in the palace. Of the total of
280 vases, 46 are Yıldız porcelain, 59 are Chinese, 29 are French
Sèvres, 26 are Japanese, and the rest are porcelains from various
European countries. 158 clocks, each with a different feature, decorate
the rooms and halls of the palace. Approximately 600 paintings were made
by Turkish and foreign painters. Among these, there are 19 paintings by
the palace chief painter Zonaro and 28 paintings by Ayvazovsky, who came
to Istanbul during the reign of Abdulaziz.
Although there is no exact information about when the
walls on the land side of the Dolmabahçe Palace, which are very
difficult to overcome, were built, there are foreign sources stating
that the current walls of the palace were built during the times of
Beşiktaş Palace and the old palace in Dolmabahçe.
When the walls
of the special garden called "Dolmabahçe" at that time were in ruins and
the magnificent buildings inside were constantly covered in dust and
smoke, it was decided that this garden deserved more care and attention
than ordinary gardens and that it should be eliminated from its ugly
state. Because this place was in a remarkable location as it was one of
the first places seen by guests and passengers coming to Istanbul both
by land and sea. It was notified to the managers and administrators of
the construction through a decree that with the repair and construction
of the Dolmabahçe walls, the palace could be integrated with the other
one in Beşiktaş, thus preserving its old reputation. A wall was built
from Beşiktaş Palace to Kabataş, including Dolmabahçe. While the
residents of Fındıklı were previously going to Dolmabahçe and Beşiktaş
via the Arap pier, a port was built instead of the pier, and residents
were also allowed to pass through Dolmabahçe.
The importance
given to Dolmabahçe Palace can also be seen in the gates on the land and
sea sides. The doors, which have a very ornate and majestic appearance,
provide integrity with the palace. The treasury gate is located between
the Treasury-i Hassa, which is used as the administration building
today, and the Furnishings Department. The round arched and barrel
vaulted section forms the main beam of this door. The two wings of the
door are made of iron. At the entrance of the gate, there are twin
columns on high pedestals on both sides. Entrance to the courtyards of
the Treasury-i Hassa and Furnishing Departments was provided through the
doors on the right and left of the Treasury gate. In the medallion on
the crowned upper part of the door, there is the signature of Abdulmecid
I in an oval shape, and below it is the inscription of the poet Ziver
dated 1855/1856. The calligrapher of the inscription is Kazasker Mustafa
İzzet Efendi.
The decoration of the Treasury Gate mostly consists
of cartouches, garlands, pearls, strings of eggs and oyster shell
motifs. The Sultanate Gate, with Abdulmecid's signature on it, is
located between two high walls with corridors. The door, which overlooks
the garden of I loved it on one side and Hasbahçe on the other, has two
wings made of iron. There are columns on both sides at the entrance of
the gate, which has a monumental appearance. The gate is crowned with
the use of twin columns followed by medallions enclosed in large panels.
It has two towers, inside and outside. The Sultanate Gate also attracts
the attention of foreign visitors. Souvenir photographs are taken by
both those who visit Dolmabahçe Palace and those who participate in the
Bosphorus tour.
Apart from these two gates, the Koltuk, Kuşluk,
Valide and Harem Gates are also carefully constructed gates on the land
side of the palace. On the sea-facing façade of Dolmabahçe Palace, there
are five waterside gates with crowns, iron wings, medallions, decorated
with plant motifs, and connected to each other with segmented railings.
The shallow bay that once lay between the Beşiktaş
Hasbahçe and the Karabali (Karaabalı) gardens of Kabataş was filled in
during the 17th century. The work began under Ahmed I and was completed
under Osman II, who ordered thousands of boatloads of stone dumped into
the water. The new land joined two older imperial groves and produced
the name Dolmabahçe, “filled garden.” On this reclaimed shore Sultan
Abdülmecid later built the present palace (1843–1856). The grounds that
remain today occupy the narrow band between the Bosphorus and the high
landward wall.
Has Bahçe (Mabeyn / Selamlık Garden)
Between
the Treasury Gate and the main palace entrance lies a nearly square
rectangle known as Has Bahçe, also called the Mabeyn or Selamlık Garden.
It is the most public and most Western of the palace gardens. A large
central pool with swans and a marble fountain forms the focal point of a
strictly axial, French-inspired layout. Geometric parterres, clipped yew
and boxwood, lanterns, vases and stone sculptures line the paths. The
design was directed by the German head gardener Christian Sester and his
assistants, who imported rare trees from Europe and Asia. The garden was
meant to be seen as much as walked through: a formal showcase that
announced the Tanzimat-era court’s new relationship with nature and with
Europe.
Kuşluk Garden
On the landward side of the Ceremonial
Hall (Muayede Salonu) sits the Kuşluk Garden, named for the historic
Kuşluk Mansion and aviary. It is smaller, more enclosed and closer to
older Ottoman garden habits. Tall linden and chestnut trees cast shade
over grass and a grotto-style pool. Cages, perches and a former bird
hospital once held hundreds of birds. The space feels like a transition
between the ruler-straight Has Bahçe and the private inner courts.
Harem Garden
Behind the L-shaped Harem wing, high walls create an
oval courtyard. An oval pool occupies the center; beds are cut into
geometric shapes. Magnolia grandiflora and other shade trees stand on a
gentle slope that prevents perfect symmetry. The garden served the
private life of the sultan’s family and was never intended for public
display.
Sea-front gardens
The gardens that run along the
water are treated as a continuation of Has Bahçe. On either side of the
Great Waterside Gate, rectangular beds surround smaller pools. Straight
paths, lanterns, vases and sculptures again show the same Western formal
vocabulary used in the main structure. Most of the plants are of
European or Asian origin: magnolias, cedars, horse-chestnuts, crape
myrtles, coast redwoods, clipped yews and boxwoods, plus seasonal
bedding that changes color with the year.
Two windows in the rest room of the hammam, located in
the Selamlik section of the palace and made of porphyry marble, look out
to the sea. From this room, where there is a tiled stove, table and sofa
sets, you can go to the entrance hall, whose ceiling is covered with
elephant eyes with cross-like motifs. There is a toilet on the left and
a fountain made of porphyry marble opposite. You can go to the massage
room from the right of the entrance. The illumination of this place is
provided by two large windows and elephant eyes. It is seen that the
night lighting is made by lamps placed in the glass partitions on the
right and left sides of the door to the massage room. The walls of the
bath, built in baroque style, are decorated with leaves, curved branches
and flower motifs. There are porphyry basins on the right and left of
the entrance, and the workmanship of the mirror stones attracts
attention.
The tiled bath of the Harem Department is entered
through a small corridor. On the right, in the entrance to the
bathroom's toilet, there is a bronze fountain decorated with mirror
stone flower motifs. It has a simple toilet. At the end of the corridor,
there is seating in the massage room, which has two large windows and is
illuminated by eyelets on the ceiling. Additionally, there is a table
here, made in Kütahya, made with the underglaze technique, consisting of
eight tile pieces, with a candlestick in each tile piece. It is
understood that this place is illuminated with eight candles at night.
The walls of the massage room are covered with 20 x 20 cm flower bouquet
patterned ceramics. The mirror stone of the marble basin on the left
side of the entrance is in baroque style. Moving on to the heating
section, the glass panes on the walls on both sides of the door are made
for oil lamps. The mirror stones of the three basins on the right and
left here are carved in marble and are in baroque style. The basin with
a bronze fountain located opposite the entrance is larger than the
others. Eyelets made of geometric shapes on the ceiling provide
illumination of the space. The walls are covered with daisy-patterned
ceramics.
Another bath located on the lower floor was also used
by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. There are three basins in the warmth of this
bath, whose illumination is provided by the upper windows. The bath-like
bathhouse is entered from a front room. There is a bathtub on the right
side of the washing area, and a toilet with tap on the left side. There
is a lead stained glass window opposite the entrance. You can go to the
rest room from the left. There is a medicine cabinet, a table and a
sofa. On the left, there is a fountain decorated with mirror stone
flower motifs and an exit to the corridor on the left.
Lighting and heating at Dolmabahçe Palace were
supplied by a purpose-built gasworks that stood on the ground now
occupied by BJK İnönü Stadium (today part of the Vodafone Park complex).
The Dolmabahçe Gasworks was constructed in 1853-1856, at the same time
as the palace itself, behind the imperial stables (Has Ahırlar) on land
stretching toward the Nişantaşı valley. It was the first coal-gas plant
in the Ottoman Empire and one of the earliest modern industrial
facilities in Istanbul. When the palace opened in June 1856, gas from
this works lit the vast complex for the first time.
Until about
1873-1874 the plant was run by the palace treasury, the Hazine-i Hassa.
Management then passed to the municipal authority (Şehremaneti), later
to the Tophane arsenal administration, and in 1914 to a French-backed
concession, the Beyoğlu-Yeniköy Turkish Gas Company, associated with
Paris bankers Octave Bezanson and Louis Boer. Surplus gas quickly left
the palace grounds. From 1856 onward pipes carried it to Beyoğlu,
Beşiktaş and Harbiye; İstiklal Caddesi (then Cadde-i Kebir) became the
first street in Istanbul to receive regular gas lighting. Production at
the original site continued until 15 August 1960. Between 1955 and 1962
the works was dismantled so the stadium could be enlarged and the plant
was relocated to Poligon in Kağıthane.
The Ceremonial Hall (Muayede
Salonu), the palace’s largest interior at more than 2,000 square meters
under a 36-meter dome, used a different heating method. Six furnaces in
the basement warmed air that rose through channels and entered the hall
through perforated, porous bases of the 56 columns. The system, similar
in principle to a Roman hypocaust, could raise the temperature of the
huge volume to about 20 °C. In winter the fires were often lit two days
before a ceremony so the space would be comfortable. Because the walls
were richly decorated, heat was not sent through wall flues.
Elsewhere in the palace, heat came from fireplaces, tiled ceramic stoves
(çini soba) and portable braziers (mangal). During the reign of Sultan
Mehmed V Reşad (1909-1918), around 1910-1912, the original gas lamps
were converted to electricity while their historic casings and
appearance were kept. At the same time a central-heating network of
radiators replaced the older fireplaces and stoves. Architect Vedat Tek
oversaw the work; a 30-meter reinforced-concrete chimney, designed to
look like a monumental column, was built in the garden to serve the new
boiler. Installation of the radiators damaged the old hypocaust ducts
under the Ceremonial Hall, so that system was taken out of use.
Together the gasworks, the column-base warm-air system, and the later
electric and radiator upgrades show how Dolmabahçe combined 19th-century
European industrial technology with Ottoman court architecture.