Palaces and Pavillion

Istanbul has been the capital city of some of the most powerful nations and empires of the history since it's foundation; capital Byzantium of the King Byzas' colonies, capital Constantinople of the Byzantine Empire, and capital Istambul of the Ottoman Empire. Therefore one can find many palaces in Istanbul belonging to these empires who left they remarks in this magnificent city. Most of the palaces in Istanbul are from the Ottoman period because earlier palaces were either destroyed or built on top after the Conquest of Constantinople, but some of them were also damaged by the destructive earthquakes throughout the centuries.
After the proclamation of the Republic by Atatürk, all Ottoman palaces were inherited to the Turkish people thus to the Parliament by the Law of 1924. These palaces were restored and opened to the public as a museum. Only the Dolmabahçe Palace continued to serve as a presidential palace until the death of Mustafa Kemal than it was opened to the visitors.