The weather had not changed a bit since yesterday. It was raining the whole day thus our plan also needed to be changed. Since we can't make any outdoor plans we just decided to have an indoor one. We left our hotel at 10.00 a.m for the biggest shopping mall in Europe - Cevahir (info from Wiki). Tapi nampak macam KLCC jek...! We went to buy some new long sleeve shirts for Ehsan from Mothercare, some toys for him, and some vege for me to bring back to Khartoum. It was nothing much to be done so we took an early lunch at the mall. What I had was some Chinese halal food -nasi goreng cina, mee goreng, ayam sechuan, beef black paper n some vege. While hubby of course looking for his favourite food - McD. Around noon it was still drizzling but we decided to make a move and just continue to our next stop ; Dolmabahce Palace.
Cevahir Mall
My lunch.....
When we arrived there, it was 2.00 p.m, it started to rain again but not that heavy. And to add to it, the queue for tickets was long but moving. So while hubby was lining up, the kids and I found a place for shelter.
The Imperial Gate of the Dolmabahce Palace - the view from my shelter!
Hubby & Ehsan - Treasury Door
Hasbahce
Mabeyn building - Sultan's office
After looking at the pictures outside the building, we will then look at the inside. Looking at the pictures is definitely not the same feeling as you see it by yourself! I had goose bump looking at the interior and the ornament inside. It was so beautiful and amazing! No words can express it. We were lucky since by the time we arrived there were a group of people who were led in by an English commentator. So we just joined in.
The construction of this palace took 13 years to accomplished. It was first unnecessary expenditure for the Ottoman treasury due to external debt. The palace had been empty for 32 years. With the declaration of the republic, Ataturk used it as his residence when he visited Istanbul. And when he died (in Dolmabache!), the palace was restored and coverted to a museum.
The palace was a copy of the Louvre Palace in Paris and the Buckingham Palace in London, to give a more European image to foreign ambassadors and high ranking visitors. The marbles was brought in from the Islands in the Sea of Marmara, the alabaster from Egypt, the porphyry stones from ancient Pergamon city and it even had Irish crystal chandelier and stairs. It is said that 14 tones of gold and 40 tones of silver were used for the decoration. Kaya betui depa ni...!
The palace consists of 3 divisions. When seen from the sea, like in the picture below, to the left - Selamlik (men's administartive section), middle - Grand Hall and to the right - Harem.
The view from Bosphorus Sea
Seaside mansion door
The Selamlik tour started with Crystal staircases, reaching the Ambassador Hall. The place was filled with silk carpets and curtains to make it so beautiful. There are no words to decribe the magnificent look of the palace! Just look at the pictures; as they say a picture is worth a thousand words.
Crystal Staircases
Ambassadors Lounge - Foreign ambassadors were taken to this lounge first before visiting the Sultan
Ambassadors Lounge
Translator room - The second room ambassadors were taken
Waiting room - last location for the diplomats.
Acceptance Lounge - The acceptance room by the Sultan after the diplomats passed previous rooms and phases.
Library - formed by the last caliph, Abdulmecit
Accpetance Room (Red Room) - used to host lady guests/wives of ambassadors
Hubby & Ehsan infront of Caliph's staircase (can you see me in the mirror?)
Seraglio Lounge with 2 rooms - it is the entrance and exit passage
Siap ada 'Code of Arms' signage okay....
Brandy case - hidden in a book case
Muayede Lounge - used for Bayram ceremonies (Ramadhan & Kurban)
The ceiling ornamentation
"The ceiling is like a window of the sky and heaven opened to the universe of angles and flowers" - Celik Gulersoy
Our tour of the main building finished within 1 hour. We then had to walk about 15 minutes thru drizzling rain and open spaces to the next building called Harem. It would have been an excellent experience, except for the rain... Harem is the unofficial place for the Sultan and the families. It is like their home. Nama je macam umah tapi, Masyaallah lawa giler....! Since it was raining outside and our shoes are all wet and dirty so we have to covered it with special plastic baggies to make sure the place was not dirtied.
Kasut2 yang terpaksa dicover...
Hall of the guest women
Hall for the prince's guest
Guest's living room
Pink Lounge - Sultan and wives host the relatives who left the palace as a bride
Bedroom
Hamam - toilet
Ataturk's room - he died on this bed on 10th November 1938
We had to stop our tour at the half-way point as our lovely Erica started to cried asking for milk. So we quickly snuck out from the group and headed to the exit. We managed to get a seat at the entrance and give the kids milk. At the same time Ehsan started to be cranky, so hubby needed to carry him all along to the main gate thru the heavy rain. In the end, it was a very damp and tiring day for all of us. We went back at 5.oo p.m and did nothing during the evening.
I went to bed early that night since I had a terrible headache. Hubby bought McD but I didn't even ate it. Hubby settled the kids by himself as my headache really drive me crazy.
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