Saturday, November 23, 1991
Finally relaxed with no business calls. Leisurely breakfast and a guided tour of the Dolmabahce Palace. Absolutely spectacular! It was the home of the Sultan Kings who ruled Istanbul until the early 1920′s. We visited the Kings’ rooms and their Harem’s (wives and concubine’s) rooms. The women lived quite well. It’s just that they were not allowed into some parts of the Palace.
The King was allowed 4 legal wives, the one of most importance to him being the one that bore him his first son. The Palace was comprised of 40 tons of silver and 14 tons of gold, chandeliers weighing as much as up to 4 tons. Just beautiful! The Grand Hall of the Palace recently hosted President Bush for a Gala Dinner during his recent visit to Istanbul. The evening we spent in the hotel Casino – losing money, but having fun.
Nautical Knitter said,
October 1, 2008 at 5:49 am
I remember going to the different palaces and castles when we went to visit them. Amazing places!!