The Trip That Keeps Growing

3 October Dolmabahce Palace

Today we had some very grandiose plans for our last day in Istanbul. As this was our second trip to Istanbul, we are going to try to see the sites that we missed on our Post Tour of our Ukraine River Cruise. However, after yesterday’s long day, it was very hard to get up this morning. But at 8:30 we struggled out of bed as we had a 9 AM appointment to get our COVID PCR test so we could travel on to Egypt tomorrow. About 9:15, the lab nurse came to our room to do the test. It took all of 10 minutes!

We then walked to the closest tram station expecting to buy an Istanbulkart so we could use the tram multiple times. Unfortunately, all we could was a single ticket. So we walked back to the hotel to rethink what to do. On the way we passed a Starbucks, so of course I needed a Pumpkin Spice Latte. Walking a little further, Bill decided he needed lunch, so we stopped at the Berlin Café for lunch. Returning to the hotel, Bill fell asleep and I worked on the pictures from yesterday. So the walking tour went out the window. But that was all right as half of the places we had hoped to visit were closed for renovation. So that walking tour is going home to be used on a future trip to Istanbul.

But this day was not a total loss. We had a 3:30 tour of the Dolmabahce Palace. So back to the tram station to try and figure out their ticket machine. Fortunately there was a nice young lady there who helped us buy our two tickets and we were on our way. The Palace is only two stops away from the hotel.

The Dolmabahce Palace is a lavish palace with an ornate entranceway, located on the banks of the Bosporus Strait. Built in the 19^th century as the Ottoman Empire’s administrative center, Dolmabahce is the largest palace in Turkey, with 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths and 58 toilets. (Sure glad I do not have to clean all those bathrooms!) Fourteen tons of gold were used to gild the ceilings and it has the largest collection of Bohemian and Baccarat crystal chandeliers in the world. In fact, the chandelier in the large reception room is the largest in the world, consisting of 750 bulbs and weighing 4 tons. It was a gift from England and took 2 months to put it together and hang it in the hall. The palace was the residence of the last six Ottoman Sultans. In 1924, when the Turkish Republic was established, the new capital was moved to Ankara. The palace then was used as a summer residence until 1984 when it was converted into a museum.

The gardens around the palace are magnificent. In the center pond is a statue adorned with swans. This was the first time that the image of a living thing was used in a statue as the Muslim frowned on images of people or animals. However, the Koran only prohibits the image of Mohammad Ali, so the palace has several statues of animals – especially lions.

There are usually long lines to purchase tickets to enter the palace, but we circumvented the lines by booking a tour which allowed us to enter the palace to meet our guide. He got us into the palace, which is now a museum, and then we were on our own with our individual whispers that provided information on the rooms and accommodations that we were allowed to visit. Unfortunately, no photography inside the palace is allowed, so you will have to Google Dolmabahce Palace to see the lavish rooms. Believe me, no expense was spared in the palace’s construction. This, plus other palaces built by succeeding sultans, eventually bankrupted the Ottoman Empire and was one of the reasons for its eventual collapse.

After our tour, we returned to the hotel where we went to the Skull and Bones, the hotel’s casual bar for a couple of drinks and a light supper. Bill even had to explain how to make a Rum Punch to the bartender. But the hamburgers we had were very filling and very good. So it was time for sleep – I do not think we will ever catch up on our needed sleep. Tomorrow is a travel day as we fly to Cairo.