Dolmabahçe Palace, completed in 1856, replaced Topkapı Palace as the Ottoman sultans’ main residence.
Sultan Abdülmecid I commissioned the palace because he wanted a residence with a more European appearance than the traditional Topkapı complex. Designed chiefly by the Armenian architects Garabet Balyan and his son Nigoğayos Balyan, it stands on the European shore of the Bosporus.
The palace combines Ottoman architectural planning with Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical decoration. Its ceremonial halls, crystal fittings, gilded details and extensive waterfront façade reflect the empire’s 19th-century modernization and diplomatic ambitions.
Dolmabahçe remained an imperial residence until the abolition of the sultanate in 1922. A common mix-up is treating it as an older Ottoman palace than Topkapı: Topkapı served as the principal court residence for centuries before Dolmabahçe took over that role.