Discover the best things to do in Istanbul

Dolmabahce looks much more interesting from the outside than Topkapi. There was a feeling of absolute emptiness in the old residence: neither on the street, nor inside, nor on the buildings themselves, there were absolutely no decorations, statues, moldings, in general, any decorations (except for marble-gilded hammams). Here, the buildings are decorated more strictly (in contrast to the absolutely chaotic development of the old complex) and at the same time intricate: a park with a geometric-style slope, fountains everywhere, a beautiful embankment and everything else -- wherever you stumble, you can find something interesting. After exploring the palace, we decided to wander around the neighborhood a little more, and suddenly we came across a gallery. I was very pleasantly surprised by the gallery. I can't understand why it's filled with so many cool paintings (from what I can remember: the entire Aivazovsky hall, several halls of the Barbizon School, halls dedicated to the history of the Ottoman Empire, plus many quite interesting paintings by Turkish authors), given that the ticket cost 30 euros, and the existence of this gallery was not advertised at all. At the same time, even without an audio guide, there was enough description in each room to appreciate paintings by artists and trends that you had never heard of. As a result, we spent much more time in the gallery than in the palace itself.

It was a unique experience for us. It's worth seeing! The place where the performance was held was easy to find and the people who organise it very helpful.