miss b's quote

'I haven't been everywhere yet but it's on my list' Susan Sontag

Wednesday 4 April 2012

miss b loves...... spring in Istanbul.....part two



Sunday began with a visit to Dolmabahçe Palace, one of the most glamorous palaces in the world (on my must-visit list for quite a while!) and it was the residence of the last Sultan of the Ottoman Empire. In a stunning location on the banks of the Bosphorus, the white marble façade is so striking.

The Swan Fountain
Before entering the palace and meeting the guide, we had to put on our bright pink plastic overshoes to protect the parquet floors and Hereke carpets.


The lavish interior is the work of Sechan, the French decorator who worked on the Paris Opéra. Well, this certainly lived up to my expectations....Highlights of our guided tour included the throne room with its 750 lamp, four ton Bohemian chandelier(a gift from Queen Victoria)and the Baccarat crystal staircase. The decoration in the palace is most definitely opulent - a shame we were not allowed to take photos but a couple of pictures below give you an idea of the extravagant interior.

Photo via

Photo via

Previously, the Sultan and his family had lived at Topkapi Palace, but as Topkapi was lacking in up-to-date luxury and style, Sultan Abdülmecid decided to build the Dolmabahçe Palace. Whereas Topkapi has beautiful Iznik tiles and Ottoman carving, the Dolmabahçe Palace has gold and crystal - an incredible amount!! 

Dolmabahçe is very important to Turkish people as Atatürk, the first President of the Republic used it as a residence when in Istanbul and he died here on the 10th November 1938 at 9.05 am (all the clocks in the palace are stopped at this time). It was eventually converted into a palace-museum in 1984.

After a tour of the Harem....


....it was just a short taxi ride to the seaside to Bebekan upmarket, trendy village on the European Bosphorus shore with lovely cafés and shops along the waterfront. The promenade is perfect for long strolls and the wide bay offers stunning views even on a drizzly March afternoon.


Many Ottoman aristocrats in the 19th century had summer palaces and houses here. The Egyptian Consulate, a magnificent, white Art Nouveau mansion is one of the best remaining historical residences in this area - just stunning and what a location!


It's definitely an upmarket area .....they even have a branch of Ladurée........


...how could we resist taking home a few favourites....pistachio,  raspberry, praline........


A quick stop for a cappuccino in a posh Caffè Nero - this has to be one of the best views from any Caffè Nero table (certainly very different from my local one on the high street back home!)



Next stop was Ortaköy one of Istanbul's chicest neighbourhoods with boutiques, cafés and sophisticated residents and visitors. The House Café was the perfect venue for our evening meal with views of the Bosphorus Bridge.


mint lemonade and a green tea
The attention to detail is impressive especially the mini fruit salad which accompanied the green tea! This was the third House Cafe we have visited - the food and drinks are consistently excellent and each House Café has its own distinctive character.



So.....the end of  another wonderful weekend in Istanbul...until the next time.............

PS Of course no weekend away would be complete without a little bit of shopping and I'm delighted with my new spring purchases - 
blush jeans from Mango




and ballet flats from Yargici 


I love this shop........all the colours and designs I like to wear, gorgeous accessories, helpful and friendly staff......it seems to have been made for me...





23 comments:

  1. All I can say is WOW! Still so envious of your trip! Sounds like you saw, ate, and shopped well! :)

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  2. How awesome! I knew part 2 was going to be fabulous. WHAT A PALACE! I love the fountains and ohhhh that chandelier is spectacular. Mmmm macarons :) I love your new shoes girl. They are sweet!!!
    http://www.averysweetblog.com/

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  3. A lovely post! All your photos are gorgeous:) What a fabulous view from the cafe!! Loving your new jeans and pumps:)Have a lovely Easter weekend!
    ~Anne

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  4. merci de ton passage qui me permet de découvrir ton blog !

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  5. Thank you sooo much for sweet words on my blog:) I like yours to ...I wonder if you have twitter or facebook??its easyer follow there.
    Have a great day

    LOVE Maria at inredningsvis

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  6. So pleased you like my blog. Thank you, Maria, for following.

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  7. beautiful pics! seems like a wonderful place!
    http://citygirltoday.blogspot.com/

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  8. Oh my goodness! So many beautiful things! You could have done a post on just the palace alone! That first image is gorgeous!

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  9. It is absolutely gorgeous!

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  10. beautiful pictures! xo, nikki

    http://carry-on-couture.blogspot.om

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  11. Amazing photos, so pretty! :)

    Lia
    http://theperksofbeingagirlygirl.blogspot.com/

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  12. These are gorgeous! Have a beautiful weekend, Kellie xx

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  13. Bonnes fêtes de Pâques!!!
    Merci pour la superbe ballade!!!!
    Laure

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  14. Fabulous miss b! What a great read. I love it all and those macarons look amazing!

    have a wonderful Easter weekend, Stephie x

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  15. mmm the macarons..LOVE..and the stairs with the chandelier..amaxinf..lokks fab Miss B

    Happy easter

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  16. That swan fountain is soooo pretty - so glad you had a lovely day!! xo

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  17. Ah! Miss B...Istambul!, gorgeous pictures...they bring tons of memories to my visit to that gorgeous city so cosmopolitan and so full of history and traditions...Thank you, very much!
    I hope you enjoy a beautiful Easter weekend with your nearest and dearest!
    Big hugs!
    Inés

    SimplyClassyMe.blogspot.com

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  18. Interesting post, I want those macarons and your jeans from Mango, lol.
    Kisses and thanks for you comment in my blog.
    www.trendyfeeling.com
    XX

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  19. What a beautiful post - amazing pictures! Glad you had such a good time xo

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  20. Thank you very much for all these wonderful comments!

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  21. Dear Miss B, how lovely to read-see my hometown from your eyes : ) I like Yargici very much too and I visited it and Laduree last week in Bebek as well, I am still here in Istanbul actually : ) House Cafes around the town is one of my usual places to meet friends, you can check their hotels as well, for next visits : ) Thanks a lot for this Istanbul post : )

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  22. Thanks, Lila, for taking the time to write such a lovely comment! So pleased you enjoyed the post. Istanbul is so impressive - there's so many wonderful places to write about.

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  23. Wow this looks so amazing! I've always wanted to go to Istanbul. A couple of years ago I was in a coastal town of Turkey....Kusadasi, but I've been wanting to get to Istanbul. One day! The palace looks amazing! Thank you for taking a moment to stop by and say hello! ;-)

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Thank you for taking the time to write a comment on my blog. I really do appreciate it. miss b

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