The Decadence of Dolmabache

Finally getting around to some of the less important tourist sites in Istanbul, I went to Dolmabache Palace. Decorated in the elaborate western style of the 19th C, the palace was the Sultan's showpiece to the west. The palace has hundreds of rooms and quite a few Turkish baths. Everything in the palace is symmetrical, so gifts had to be given in twos so that it didn't throw off the balance of a room. The only thing that is in traditional Ottoman style is the Harem (which is actually just a building for all the wives and children... not as exciting as I had hoped) and the gated windows above the main hall where the women could watch the parties below without being seen. Many Turks feel that Dolmabache is not as beautiful as the more traditional Topkapi Palace and I have to admit that it looks out of sorts surrounded by mosques on the streets of Istanbul.

I did enjoy that this guard looked like he might stab you at a moment's notice.