Day 13: Dolmabahçe Palace, Fortress Rumeli, and Whirling Dervishes - Evan

After a short bus ride from our hotel, we laid our eyes upon the last residence of the Ottoman sultans, the Dolmabahçe Palace. Located on the coast of the Bosphorus Strait, “The New Palace” is the product of the spending that ultimately brought about the downfall of the Ottoman Empire. After 13 years of construction, the building was finished in 1856 and became the new home for Ottoman royalty, replacing the seemingly outdated Topkapi Palace.

In the eyes of the Russian Tsar Nicholas I and many western powers, the Ottoman Empire was “the sick man of Europe” as the country struggled to stay afloat as it slowly lost territory, power, and influence. To challenge this idea, Sultan Abdülmecid I commissioned the construction of the Dolmabahçe Palace and instructed that it reflect the luxurious palaces of Europe that radiate greatness. This inspiration is seen as we walked through the Gate of the Treasury and towards the palace itself, both of which were decorated in the trendy Neoclassical style that captivated European architects of the time. 

The Gate of the Treasury

The Dolmabahçe Palace

The Ottomans also wanted to westernize in order to escape the label of “oriental” associated with the East, which at the time was particularly concentrated in the Middle East. Orientalism depicted the East as exotic by showing images such as young boys holding large snakes and groups of hypersexualized women in Turkish baths. While this made the East seem like an alluring and magical place, it also made it seem like a threat to Western civilization which was believed to be more proper and righteous.

In order to avoid emulating what could be seen as oriental characteristics, the sultans not only adopted Western European architecture, but also reorganized their government. The Rescript of the Rose Chamber, issued by Sultan Abdülmecid I in 1839, called for the abolition of tax farming, reform of conscription, and equal rights for all citizens of the Empire regardless of one’s faith or ethnicity. However, these reforms worked in tandem with the costs of elegant palaces and the expenses of the Crimean War to put the Ottomans in a tricky financial situation. In the end, the Empire was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1875 and was thereafter manipulated by the West to uplift the nation’s Christian minority population until the outbreak of World War One.

Bearing all this history in mind, we walked through the home of the final six sultans and witnessed all the glamor that was shown to important visitors from abroad and kept private for the palace’s residents. The palace is divided into the Selam section for the men and their guests and the Harem for the royal family and any present concubines. In both parts of the palace, there’s an abundance of paintings of sultans on the walls (the total number being over 600) and a near constant presence of gold that was often paired with different geometric designs or heavenly paintings on the ceilings. The entirety of the building is covered with the color red, a symbol of royalty that smothered carpets and furniture while accenting the Italian stucco that enveloped the pillars of the interior. Although taking pictures inside the palace was not allowed, this doesn’t stop the power of the Internet from showing you what we saw.

A meeting room

The Pink Hall

The Crystal Staircase

The last room we were able to view was the opulent Ceremonial Hall, making everyone crane their necks as we looked up at the gigantic blue dome overhead. In the center of the room was the world’s largest Bohemian crystal chandelier weighing more than four tons and hanging above the world’s second largest Hereke rug, only surpassed by one given as a gift to the White House. Our exit led us outside in front of the Gate to the Bosphorus where sultans used to greet foreign leaders, leaving an awesome last impression as we enjoyed the view before getting back on the coach.

The Ceremonial Hall

Some of the squad exiting the palace

The Gate to the Bosphorus

Across the street from the palace is the home of Saba’s favorite soccer team, Beşiktaş JK. All around the outside of the stadium are pictures of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, as he lived out his final days in the Dolmabahçe Palace. Oftentimes the supporters of a certain team follow a particular ideology, like how Beşiktaş is linked to Atatürk, and this lends itself to creating heated rivalries and every once in a while run-ins with the police as a group of fans will sometimes support a protest that resonates with them. In a show of distaste for a rival, Saba scoffed at a man-made island used for restaurants owned by the soccer club Galatasaray as we passed by on our way to our next stop.

Saba’s favorite stadium

Saba’s least favorite island

After another fairly short bus ride, we reached Rumeli Fortress, also known as the Fortress of Europe. This was strategically created by Mehmet II in 1452 directly across from the Anatolian Fortress on the other side of the Bosphorus. These along with another pair of forts on opposite sides of the Strait came together to cut off all naval traffic, and with it, a significant source of supplies for Constantinople, the target of the Ottomans for centuries. The only other time the fortress was used for military purposes was during the occupation of Istanbul after the conclusion of World War One, which saw the British use the building to keep control over the city.

Saba gets our tickets into the fortress

A new mosque doesn’t leave much room for theater

The wall along the Bosphorus Strait

The erection of the fortress was a rare example of soldiers being the sole workers on a construction project. The force was split into four sections and was headed by four different commanders who were each assigned a tower to build, all of which were later named after the corresponding commanders. Today, the fortress isn’t filled by gruff soldiers, but is instead occupied with friendly cats who aren’t afraid to jump up into your lap while you enjoy the view of the Bosphorus and passing boats.

A cuddly cat relaxing with me on a bench

Following our short trip to the Rumeli Fortress, we had several hours to ourselves before we headed out again to see a whirling dervish performance. We sat together around a small circular stage in which dancers called semazens spun around in a Sufi ritual accompanied by religious music. The meditative practice involves the semazens removing their black cloaks in order to uncover their billowing white skirts meant to represent the truth provided by Allah. The Sufi whirling then commences as they attempt to reach a heightened connection between themselves and their creator. After much dancing and music of varying speeds, the semazens return to the reality of Earth and put back on their black cloaks, effectively ending the dance. This was a fantastic way to wind down for the night, as we now train our focus on making the most of our final days in Türkiye.

The stage of the whirling dervishes before the performance

An example of Sufi whirling, as pictures were not allowed during our viewing