Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahce Palace on the Bosphorus was the main residence of the Ottoman sultans from 1856 to 1922, replacing the older, cell-like Topkapi. Sultan Abdulmecid I had the building put up between 1843 and 1856 by the Armenian architect Garabet Amira Balyan in a mix of Neo-Baroque, Rococo and Ottoman elements, aiming for a palace legible to European eyes. Famous features include the crystal staircase with Baccarat-glass balustrade, the 36-metre ceremonial hall with a 4.5-tonne chandelier, and the death room of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who died here on 10 November 1938 at 9.05 - every clock in the palace has been frozen at that time ever since. Today Dolmabahce is among Istanbul's most-visited monuments; the tour takes around 90 minutes, easiest reached by ferry to Besiktas or tram to Kabatas.