Dolmabahce Palace was home to six Ottoman Sultans and Presidential house to the founder of Turkish Republic Ataturk. 

Abdulmecid I is the 31st Sultan of Ottoman Empire and he ordered to build the Dolmabahce Palace in 1843. It was built in 13 years and construction cost was equal to 35 tons of gold. 

In 1856, administrative center of the Ottoman Empire was moved from Topkapi Palace to Dolmabahce Palace and it also became the private residence of Abdulmecid I and his family. Abdulmecit I had lived here 5 years. He passed away in 1861 and Abdulaziz succeeded to the sultanate. Abdulaziz was the brother of Abdulmecid I and he also lived in Dolmabahce Palace. Murat V became the sultan after his uncle Abdulaziz was deposed but he was mentally ill and only reined 93 days. Murat V replaced by Sultan Abdulhamid who resided in Dolmabahce Palace for 236 days.  In 1877 Ottoman Administration moved to Yildiz Palace. Later on, Dolmabahce and Yildiz Palaces were both utilized by Mehmet V and Mehmet VI. Abdulmecid Efendi also stayed in Dolmabahce Palace as a caliph.

It was the home to Sultans till the abolishment of the caliphate in 1924 but only in between 1889 and 1909 instead of Dolmabahce Palace, only Yildiz Palace was used. After 1924 Dolmabahce Palace was used as the Presidential house by Ataturk and he enacted some of his really important works here, like the introduction of the new alphabet etc. Ataturk also spent his last years in Dolmabahce and he died on November 10, 1938 in Dolmabahce palace’s room. To his honor all the clocks in Dolmabahce are stopped at 09:05 that he died.