Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, located on the European side of Bosphorus, was the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire. The construction, cost five million Mecidiye, Ottoman gold coin, the equivalent of 35 tons of gold. Fourteen of those tons of gold were used to gild the ceilings of the 45,000 square foot palace.
More photos : Dolmabahce Palace Istanbul › Zuza Fun.