All Things Beautiful

Dolmabahce Palace. A place with extreme extravagance.

We were not allowed to take pictures (which I still never understand why its not allowed, but I shall not complain). This palace was constructed in the 19th century... everything seriously seems to recent in Turkish history. 

Dolma means "stuff," so this palace is essentially a collection of a lot of random and expensive things/ gifts from people from around the world. 

Before entering, our professor asked us.. What is so special about all of the clocks ? They were all set at the same time- 9.05, which was the time that Ataturk died (I will talk more about him on the Ankara post). There were three official sections, 285 rooms, and 4-6 reception halls. 

It was an eclectic style for sure because it had such a mixture of styles- it was absolutely stunning. 

There were crystal chandeliers, glass ceilings so that the sun shined on all of the gold used in the rooms, and crystal banisters brought from Britain. There was complete symmetry across the rooms. 

It took about five million lira to build it, except that the Ottomans did not have this kind of money. They wanted to prove how powerful and rich they were, so they just borrowed all of the money from banks to build this lavish palace. There was also lots of red used throughout the palace because that is the color of the sultan, symbolizing power. 

The harim section of the palace was where the ladies and children lived. Men were not allowed except for the sultan, of course. 

Then we had Ataturk's study and bedroom.

Then there was the ceremonial hall... 2000 sq m, carpets 125 sq m, chandelier weighing at 45 tons, 56 columns. Today, its still  

The ceiling was painted to look like a dome, but in fact, it was just a flat ceiling (you could really tell when you looked at it from the outside). This room was only used for special occasions and celebrations where not one person could sit taller than the sultan.

Next stop, Ottoman Museum (Sadberk Hanim Muzesi). 

Here are just a few facts that we learned:

- At this time, children were born at homes, 

and midwives would be present to help the mother raise her child. 

-When the baby was born, he/she was not allowed to leave the house for the first 40 days

because according to tradition,

evil spirits would disturb the baby. 

-When the child was first born, close friends and family would give him/her gold coins as gifts (size depends on how wealthy and able the person was). 

- It was believed that odd numbers brought good luck

-"Henna Night"was a party girls had before marriage. The bride would always wear red on this day, and the idea was to maker her cry (she should be sad to leave her mother). 

~Alexa