Istanbul Travel Guide: Dolmabahce Palace & Ortokoy Mosque

Istanbul, Turkey is full of wonder and magic which is why when I was looking for places to try on for a new home it had to be one of the options. I have always wanted to visit the city ad country as I am sure many of you have as well. When I arrived I found myself staying in the Beyoglu area and knew one of the first steps on my adventure had to be the luxurious Dolmabahce palace. But since I was so close I decided to combine that with a visit to the iconic Ortokoy Mosque (otherwise known as the Buyuk Mediciye Cami).

Ortokoy Mosque was my first stop for the day. It is situated on the banks of the Bosphorus and like the Dolmabahce Palace itself was built during the decline of the Ottoman Empire. It was finished in 1855 and has been one of the ms important mosques in the city since. Built-in a neo-Baroque style its architect — Garabet Baklyan partnered with the then Sultan Abdulmecid I to create this stunning religious building.

The mosque itself s free to enter ( but remember ladies if you do you will need to cover up. They offer shawls outside the entryway but it might be smarter just to carry one around. Also, you will have to remove your shoes so make sure your socks are not holy and clean…lol.) but make sure you watch the time because you won’t be able to go in when it is prayer time (unless of course, you are Muslim).

The area around the mosque is filled with a lively atmosphere as well. Situated all around the building and through the small alleyways are loads of restaurants and small vendors plying their wares. Mixed in with the salty sea air and smell of Kumpir’s (that is those massive baked potatoes that they pile high with everything but the kitchen sink. Have yet to try one but it is on my list!) are adorable dogs and cats running around just waiting to be petted and given a few scraps of your meal.

There is no worry about how to get here because whether you choose to walk or hop on a ferry, bus or take a taxi the location is easily accessible. After I walked around in wonder and sensory overload I realized it was lunchtime and so I took a seat in the small cafe that sits alongside the mosque. It has stunning views of the Bosphorus and a really awe-inspiring bridge (not sure the name but it made fr a pretty view). There are a lot of options on the menu and though it was a little pricier than the small restaurant around the corner from y hostel it was well worth it for that view.

I had the rolled doner with tomatoes sauce and yogurt. It was delicious but a lot so be warned! Once I had refueled it was time to move on to Dolmabahce Palace. The walk was nice and I even made a pit stop at Barbaros Square. Here you can get a view of the Maidens Tower (though there are better ones in the city) in the distance and check out some pretty epic sculpture work as well as make a pit stop at the Naval museum if you’re so inclined. I just took a few minutes and then moved on.

The Palace queue lines move rather quickly and you will have to go through security before even buying you a ticket. One work of note for those travelers that use tripods and gimbals they will not let you in with them. instead, a nice security guard (or at least mine was) will slap your name on it and hold it there until you have finished your day at the palace. Also, it is just easier if like the signs say you stick everything in your backpack f you have one so you can get through the lie as quickly as possible.

Once all that was done I headed to the ticket booth after taking in the beginnings of the beautiful garden. The ticket price itself depends on what exactly you want to see. I went with just the basic one which gives you access to the gardens and the main house which cost me 120TL (at the time of writing this would equate to about $13). The gardens and the views of the Bosphorous through those infamous big doors are worth the price of the entry itself.

Dolmabahce Palace (which means filled garden) took 13 years to complete finally being ready for the Sultan to move in 1856. It cost 5 million gold coins to build and is designed in a Baroque and Rococo style. The Palace was also built by Garabet Balyan and is massive with somewhere around 300 rooms. Though it would be cooler if you could take pictures at least within the Place so you can share the amazing architecture and artwork with your friends back home.

Once you have followed the path through the Palace you exit back into the garden in front of one of those famous big doors you see on Instagram all the time. But don't be surprised when you cant walk right up to the gate because the museum has put up barricades around the entrance. This means that all these pictures are photoshop magic (which was a little disappointing for me.)

After that disappointment wore off I took in the rest of the garden and even grabbed myself a drink at the cafe inside the Palace grounds. All in all, I would say that the Dolmabahce Palace and the Ortakoy Mosque were a great way to spend a day. So if you're in Istanbul and you have these two sights on your must-do list combine them together for a great day out I promise you won't be disappointed!

(Another word of caution…Istanbul is on hills and going to these places is really easy but the climb back up the hill is brutal!)