Atatürk’s room in Dolmabahçe Palace under renovation

ISTANBUL

Renovation works have started in Room 71 of Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, where Turkish Republic founder Mustafa Kemal Atatürk died, to open it to visitors on Nov. 10, his death anniversary.

The National Palaces Presidency photographed the ceiling skirts and wall surfaces of the room and compared them with the previous photos from the digital archive to determine the damage.

Following the examinations, a team of 12 people determined the method they would use for the surface cleaning of the architectural decorations on the ceiling and walls of the room.

Gökşen Canıyılmaz stated, the head of the Restoration Department of the National Palaces Presidency, provided information regarding the restoration process of the room. “First, the work we are doing is dry cleaning work. We do this by cleaning the surfaces from dirt with the help of a vacuum restoration broom and brush.”

In addition to the cleaning process, the restoration team also worked on the cracks and peeling paint that emerged on the ceiling and the wall over time.

The team filled the cracks with an injection system and applied putty on walls with peeling paint, Canıyılmaz noted, adding that after waiting to dry the putty for a day, they cleaned the wall from dust with sanding work.

“In previous years, we carried out these works on parquet, door wings, and window joinery. Our target for this year is to work on architectural surfaces that require fine workmanship,” Canıyılmaz added.

The works are planned to be completed on Nov. 5, while visits to Atatürk’s study room and bathroom will continue during the restoration of the room.