Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of Bosphorus, was the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. A law that took effect on March 3, 1924, transferred ownership of the palace to the national heritage of the new Republic of Turkey The construction, cost five million Mecidiye, Ottoman gold coin, the equivalent of 35 tons of gold. Fourteen of those tons of gold were used to gild the ceilings of the 45,000 square foot palace.

Dolmabahçe was home to six Sultans, from 1856 until the abolition of the Caliphate, when the Republic of Turkey, was established in October 1923.

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as presidential residence during the summers, where he passed some of the most important laws.

He spent the last days of medical treatment in this palace, where he died on November 10, 1938

In the Hall of Ceremonies, the chandelier is made of Bohemia’s Crystal World's largest. Weighs 4.5 tons and has 750 lights. A gift of Queen Victoria

Dolmabahçe has the world’s largest collections of Bohemian and Baccarat lamps

Famous staircase, built of Baccarat crystal, brass and mahogany

The design and decoration of the palace, reflects the growing influence of European styles and a blend of Ottoman culture

Algunas de las muchas obras de arte que se pueden admirar en el Palacio.. These are just some pieces of the vast collection of works of art in gold

Dolmabahçe, is the largest of the Ottoman imperial palaces

It's grand and sumptuous, with 285 rooms, 43 receptions rooms, and many other specialized areas

If the Earth were a single state, Istanbul would be its capital                                Napoleon Bonaparte.