Dolmabahçe Palace

Dolmabahçe Palace stretches along the European shore of the Bosphorus as a massive, uniform stone structure, distinct for its long waterfront facade of repeated windows, classical columns, and ornate projecting sections. Commissioned by Sultan Abdülmecid the First and completed in eighteen fifty-six, it was built to replace the traditional, pavilion-style Ottoman palaces with a single, grand, European-influenced residence. Its name, meaning filled-in garden, refers to the reclaimed bay upon which it stands.