premise: The Dolma-bahce Palace (Dolmabahce Saraye; Dolmabahce Cadessi, tel. 212/258-5544), finished in 1853, was intended as a bold statement of the sultan's faith in the future of his empire, but instead it turned out to be a monument to folly and extravagance.
hypothesis: The palace is viewed by many as a large waste of money, even when it was built.