Dolmabahçe Palace and Atatürk

1981

Turkish

Directed by: Suha Arin

(44 mins) Dolmabahçe Palace, completed in 1855 with the first foreign debt, was a flamboyant symbol of the Ottoman efforts to westernize. The palace hosted six sultans and witnessed the fall of the empire. After the proclamation of the Turkish Republic, Atatürk spent almost four years in Istanbul mostly at Dolmabahçe Palace. The Palace then played the role of a center for educational and cultural reforms which were a part of the Turkish revolution. In 1938 Atatürk passed away in Dolmabahçe Palace, which is a musuem today. This documentary, planned for the 100th anniversary of the birth of Atatürk, compares the role of the Palace in the Ottoman period with its transformation in the Republic, enhanced by the incomparable presence of Atatürk, in a detailed portrait of space and structure.

In Turkish with English subtitles.