Going to the National Painting Museum at the Dolmabahce Palace

Outside the National Painting Museum Dolmabahce Palace Museum in Istanbul

Outside the National Painting Museum Dolmabahce Palace Museum in Istanbul

I visited the Dolmabache Palace that afternoon in Istanbul. The palace is Sultan Abdulmecid I’s answer to the magnificent palaces of Europe. I think they made a very good case of the Dolmabahce palace since the palace looks very good inside. It is a shame then that I can’t show you any photos of the interior of the palace because it is forbidden to take photos of the interiors. The interiors were certainly magnificent and worthy to be compared to the best of the European palaces. The ban on taking photos is one of the more extreme rules you have to follow when visiting this palace.

Inside the National Painting Museum Dolmabahce Palace Museum in Istanbul

Inside the National Painting Museum Dolmabahce Palace Museum in Istanbul

The first rule is to always wear the provided plastic socks so you don’t damage the carpet. The no photo rule is probably the most draconian of them all since you are a tourist and of course you want to take photos of the places you visit. Unfortunately, the Dolmabahce Palace is not one of these places you can photograph at least from the inside. There are eyes everywhere and while you might be able to sneak in a photo or two, I guarantee that you will be told off if you persist. Their palace, their rules. You can take photos from the outside though. I ended up going through the entire palace interior without taking a single photo which is a shame because it really nice inside. I would say that the interiors are far more superior to the ones at Topkapi. At the end of the trail, I saw a sign pointing to the the National Painting Museum, maybe I would be able to take photos there.

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