Dear parents, visiting Dolmabahçe Palace with children doesn’t have to be a boring history lesson! On the contrary, with the right approach, you can transform this magnificent venue into an exciting treasure hunt game where your children become “palace explorers.” The goal is not to have them memorize dates and names, but to teach them the skills of observation, noticing details, and discovering how an empire changed over time through tangible objects. Here is a “palace hunt” checklist, specially prepared for you and your young explorers, which will turn your palace tour into a fun adventure!
Before the Exploration Begins: The Explorer’s Preparation
Before starting the visit, give your child a simple task: “This is a very large house, but it’s actually built as if it were from two different times. One side belongs to very old times, and the other side belongs to newer times. Our mission is to collect the clues—the treasures—that reveal the differences between these two eras. Let’s see who finds the most treasures?”
🗺️ Young Explorer Checklist 🗺️
1. Treasure: Find the Biggest Lamp (Chandelier)!
Where to Look?: The largest hall at the end of the Selamlık Section (Ceremonial Hall/Muayede Salonu).
What is Your Mission?: Lift your head up and find the crystal lamp hanging from the ceiling, which is as big as a car! This was a gift from a queen. Why do you think they made it so big? Perhaps they wanted to say, “Our palace is very powerful and rich.”
Explorer’s Note: When you find this [Link: giant chandelier -> /diplomasinin-kristalleri-dolmahcenin-avize-ve-samdan-koleksiyonunun-dunyaya-gonderdigi-isiltili-mesajlar], you will have discovered how much the empire loved “showing off.”
2. Treasure: Discover the Crystal Staircase!
Where to Look?: Near the entrance of the Selamlık Section, the large staircase with the red carpet.
What is Your Mission?: Look carefully at the railings along the staircase. They sparkle as if made of glass, right? They are crystal! Just like Cinderella’s glass slipper. Imagine the princesses descending and ascending this staircase.
Explorer’s Note: When you find this [Link: crystal staircase -> /bir-kuratorun-gozunden-dolmahce-sarayini-sadece-gezmek-degil-okumak-icin-5-ipucu], you will understand how fairytale-like and luxurious palace life was.
3. Treasure: Hunt the Bear Skin!
Where to Look?: In the Selamlık Section, on the floor of a large room (Ambassadors’ Hall/Süfera Salonu) where ambassadors are usually received.
What is Your Mission?: Find the huge, brown, and furry rug spread on the floor. This is a real bear skin! It was sent as a gift from a long distance away by the king of a cold country (the Russian Tsar).
Explorer’s Note: When you hunt this bear skin, you will have discovered how interesting and powerful the gifts palaces sent to each other were.
4. Treasure: Find the Sultan’s Secret Bath (Hamam)!
Where to Look?: In the Harem Section, in the Sultan’s private apartment.
What is Your Mission?: Find the room whose walls are covered with honey-colored, smooth, and veined stones. These stones were brought from Egypt! Pay attention to the light filtering through the tiny windows in the ceiling. This was the Sultan’s most special place of rest.
Explorer’s Note: When you find this [Link: secret hamam -> /zamaniniz-kisitliysa-dolmahcede-90-dakikada-imparatorluktan-cumhuriyete-yolculuk], you will understand that even the most powerful people need to rest and take private time for themselves.
5. Treasure: Discover the Clock Stopped at 09:05!
Where to Look?: Towards the end of the Harem Section, the simplest but most important room (Atatürk’s Room).
What is Your Mission?: You will notice that one of the clocks inside always shows the same time: five past nine in the morning (09:05 A.M.). This clock was stopped at the moment the great leader who founded our country, Atatürk, passed away in this room. That is why it is a very special and respected treasure.
Explorer’s Note: When you find this [Link: special clock -> /71-numarali-oda-bir-sarayin-bir-lider-icin-nasil-mutevazi-bir-eve-donustugunun-hikayesi], you will have discovered that this large house (palace) hosted not only sultans but also the founder of the Republic of Turkey, and that one era ended and a new era began.
After the Exploration: Treasure Evaluation
When your tour is finished, sit down at a cafe in the palace garden and evaluate the “checklist” with your child. Ask them which treasure they liked the most and which one surprised them. With this simple game, your child will unconsciously learn Dolmabahçe’s five most important stories—magnificence, luxury, diplomacy, privacy (intimacy), and the legacy of the republic—through tangible objects.
