Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey was built in 1856 and served as the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. This impressive palace merges eclectic elements of the Baroque, Rococo and Neoclassical styles blended with traditional Ottoman architecture to create a striking synthesis. Sprawling across 45,000 sq­. m. and containing 285 rooms, 46 halls, 6 baths and 68 toilets, this masterpiece features fourteen tonnes of gold gilding on the ceiling and the world's largest Bohemian crystal chandelier, weighing 4.5 tonnes. Besides its grandeur, Dolmabahçe is historically significant, having housed six Sultans until 1924 when it was transferred to the ownership of the Turkish Republic. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, lived here and died here in 1938. Today, the palace is managed by Milli Saraylar Daire Başkanlığı and serves as an important cultural destination for visitors from all around the world!