Located along the coast of the Bosphorus in Besiktas, this palace is the greatest imperial Ottoman residence. It was constructed by the Armenian architects Karabet and Nikogos Balyan for Sultan Abdulmecid (1839-61) who preferring a more modern residence, decided to move out of the Topkapi Palace. The construction of this sumptuous palace was finished in 1853 and the royal family abandoned the imperial residence of Topkapi Palace which had served as a home for the Ottoman household for almost four centuries.
The site of Dolmabahçe, which literally means "filled garden" was in Byzantine times an inlet on the Bosphorus. Mehmed, the Conqueror had the harbour filled and made into a garden. The palace’s magnificent marble facade faces the Bosphorus. One enters through the gardens after passing through the main south gate. Taking up the area of 250.000 square meters, the entire palace complex consists of 258 rooms, six of which are hamams and 43 are saloons. Two-thirds of the palace consists of the woman’s quarters (haremlik).
The palace’s sumptuous interior was decorated by the famous French decorator Sechan and is reminiscent of French palaces and villas. Among the riches and opulent furnishing found here are paintings made by well known European artists commissioned by Ottoman sultans (such as Boulanger, Ayvazovski and Gerome), Hereke carpets, Baccarat crystal and Bohemian glass chandeliers, including the world’s largest chandelier which hangs in the State Room.

"Blue" is an appropriate adjective to describe this distinctive mosque of old Istanbul since exquisite blue Iznik tiles cover the interior walls. It was inaugurated in 1616 by Ahmet I, one of the youngest sultans to rule the Ottoman Empire. (He ascended the throne at age 12 and reigned for 15 years.) The mosque's architect Mehmet Aga was a student of the famous Sinan, the Ottoman architect responsible for the magnificent Süleymaniye. The Blue Mosque was built in only seven years and was perhaps Aga's way of showing the world he could outdo not only his master but also the Byzantine architects who designed the renowned cathedral St.Sophia, which the Aga's mosque resembles in many ways. Interestingly, the two face one another across Sultanahmet Square.
The Blue Mosque's exterior is all balance and harmony and wonderfully romantic at the same time. A cascade of leaded domes ripples to the ground as six fluted minarets pierce the sky. Its courtyard, immense and serene, is completely enclosed by a covered arcade and supported by antique columns. The vast interior is a vision of color and light and the marvelous Iznik tiles for which the mosque is so rightly famous. According to popular lore, the production of such an enormous quantity of tiles completely exhausted the master potters and the decline of the ceramic tradition of Iznik began.