With its unusual cocktail of styles, such a popular feature of the 19C, the Dolmabahçe Palace is a mix of both neo-Classical European influences and Orientalism. Such eclecticism can leave visitors somewhat perplexed, a feeling enhanced by a tour of its rooms, where this gluttonous feast for the eyes is illustrated by flamboyant “kitsch” decor (such as a 4t chandelier) and countless gilded features. Such generously deployed pomp and riches do however provide a certain cohesion, in which it’s possible to conjure up the decadent life of a sultan.