166-year-old chandeliers under restoration at Dolmabahçe Palace

ISTANBUL (AA): The 166-year-old crystal chandeliers in the harem (seraglio) section of Istanbul’s Ottoman-era Dolmabahçe Palace are undergoing periodic restoration. The maintenance and restoration of the light fixtures, which are among the collections of the Presidency of National Palaces and dazzlingly elegant, are being carried out by the expert chandelier team of the Directorate of National Palaces.

The chandeliers, which provide the halls of the palace with a special atmosphere and impressive images, shed light on history and turn the palaces and pavilions into lighting museums.

Güller Karahüseyin, head of the Directorate of National Palaces’ Museum and Promotion Department, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the four crystal chandeliers in the Blue Hall of Dolmabahçe Palace were produced by British F. & C. Osler.

Pointing out that the chandeliers, which are among the most successful examples of the art of glass cutting, still continue to function, Karahüseyin said, “There is a reason why these chandeliers have survived for 166 years. They are very well taken care of. As the Directorate of National Palaces, we have workshops that repair and maintain all kinds of artifacts in the palaces. Our chandelier workshop comprises six experts. Thanks to their efforts the chandeliers continue to work.”

Drawing attention to the fact that the spectacular light fixtures have survived to date since the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid, Karahüseyin said: “Innovations of the most famous manufacturers of the period and the latest technologies were installed in Dolmabahçe Palace in the past. During the reigns of Sultan Abdülmecid, Sultan Abdülaziz, Sultan Abdülhamid and Sultan Reşat, the current collection of the palace was formed with pieces bought or gifted to the palace.”

It is known that the chandeliers were designed for use with candles in the late 1800s and later adapted to electricity. While the maintenance of the chandeliers is carried out in the places they are located, any issues with their electrical components will also be addressed during the restoration work at Dolmabahçe Palace.

Built in the 19th century, Dolmabahçe Palace was one of the most glamorous palaces in the world at the time and the administrative center of the late Ottoman Empire. While it was once the residence of sultans during the latter years of the Ottoman Empire, the palace was also used as the presidential residence by Türkiye’s founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk after the proclamation of the Turkish republic in 1923.