Dolmabahçe Palace

Summer palace on the shore of the Bosporus. It's hard to fathom that a place as large and ornate as this is not the main residence and administration center for the empire. Topkapi fills that role. In fact, it is the summer "hang out" for the sultan and the court. Ok, it's a bit more than that, but still, this equal some of the extravagance I saw in China.
First is the main gate followed by the entrance to the administrative portion of the palace. Next is a look at a portion of the river side of the complex, to give a hint at the size of the place. Technically, pictures weren't allowed inside. But the I took a couple anyway to give you a sense of the oppulence. The first is from the admin building. The other is from the harem.Read more