Dolmabahce Clock Tower

The Dolmabahce Palace is the result of the efforts of Sultan Abdulmecid I to build a better palace. Having lived in the already existing Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Sultan Abdulmecid I decided that the sultan, i.e. himself, deserves a better palace than that Topkapi Palace. He wanted a palace that would be able to rival the great palaces of Europe. The Dolmabache Palace is the product of this construction. The Dolmabahce Place was planned to be a more modern palace compared with the more modest structures of the Topkapi Palace. I went to visit the Dolmabache Palace and from the looks of it, the palace appears to be bigger than the Topkapi Palace.

Visitors need to pay an entrance fee here. But before that, I needed to have a look at the excellent Dolmabahce Clock Tower. The clock tower is very European in appearance. It is several stories tall and has a neo-baroque design. The clock was designed by a specialist from France. It doesn’t seem to be possible to go up the tower, not that there would be much room up there. The clock tower is a very interesting introduction to the Dolmabahce Palace. Maybe this is their way of showing that this not just another palace.

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