We were standing in the wide gardens of Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. As we passed the magnificent buildings of the "selamlık" (a section reserved for men) and the "haremlik" (a section reserved for women), which stood out for their simplicity, we headed to the technical works' building. At the end of the road, we found an iron workshop, a chandelier and lightening workshop and a lead workshop right next to them. After a short walk, we arrived at the building of the Restoration and Technical Works Department. Despite the several workshops available, we were there to meet only one person: "Golden hands." This man is the unit supervisor of the Kalemkar (hand engravers workshop), Onur Baybura, who has been working for more than 35 years at the complex. A total of 32 hand engravers specializing in gold and silver craftsmanship are based in the workshop, while five other craftsmen work in another workshop that features exclusive gold leaf work.The portrait of Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I at Dolmabahçe PalaceArtisans working here are the last remaining representatives of a 120-year old tradition. When we entered the workshop where the artisans create their works with utmost delicacy, golden leaf frames in various sizes that were placed on three different tables caught our eyes. There was also a huge frame right in the middle and brushes in different sizes, along with pairs of tweezers and tongs decorated with stones and golden leaves. Craft supervisor Arzu Kural, who has been restoring Ottoman heirlooms featuring the golden leaf for 20 years, stood right next to the table. She began working at the Dolmabahçe Golden Leaf Workshop while she was still attending high school. "Once I saw these worn-out historical artifacts, I was fascinated," Kural said. "After I restore these artifacts, I feel like I have cured them. Hand-craftsmanship is important but you cannot do this job without loving it. Restoring objects decorated with golden leaves is something that you can do with your heart and with patience."All the Ottoman heirloom frames as well as cornices, mirrors, drawers and many other objects that are damaged and worn out over time are trusted in the hands of Kural and her colleagues. They know every last detail about golden leaf styles from different periods. To prove that, they stay faithful to the originality of the objects while restoring them as well as keep extensive and well-documented records. In addition, before-and-after photos of the restored objects are seen hanging on the walls.Staying faithful to the originality of the restored objects is also their first priority, a task that Kural conducts carefully with years of expertise. Since restorers recommend using purely organic materials for restoration projects, Kural said the artisans work with water-based materials. "We restored a total of 600 historical frames ornamented with golden leaves over the past 20 years. All 400 frames featured in the Istanbul Painting and Sculpture Museum – as well as the historical objects displayed along the tour route in the Dolmabahçe Palace – were restored by our team," she said, explaining the phases of the restoration process. The duration of the process varies according to the damage. If an object is badly damaged, the restoration process takes nearly two months; it only takes three weeks if the damage is minimal.There are numerous objects in line to be restored. Despite the backlog, the frame that holds Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I's portrait has been the most exciting job for Kural so far. Showing us the Baroque-inspired, gold leaf frame, Kural said: "It was an amazing feeling to restore the frame of Abdülmecid's portrait. I am happy that it will survive for the future generations to enjoy. I restored the objects ornamented with golden leaves that I dreamed of and I did everything I could have possibly imagined," Kural said with pride. "When I came to the workshop, the portrait's frame was in a decrepit condition. Now, it is on display as if nothing happened. This portrait is important for me because Abdülmecid was the sultan who commissioned the building of [Dolmabahçe] palace," she added.Şeyma Öztürk, one of Kural's trainees, began working with the team seven years ago. She learned every minute detail about the restoration of golden leaves while working as Kural's apprentice. "The feeling that you get while touching history is something very different," Öztürk said. "Not everyone is allowed to engage in alterations to historical artifacts. One has to be an expert. The restoration of the golden leaves requires patience. Restoring frames requires more detailed handcraft than furniture restoration; hence, it is harder," she added.We were then led outside by Kural and ushered toward Dolmabahçe Palace. As we climbed the crystal stairs of the palace, we saw kalemkar masters working on the restoration of the golden leaves in Zülfeçeyn Hall. Directly opposite of us stood Memory Hall, where Sultan Abdülmecid's portrait is hung on the wall. Kural also renovated another portrait of an Austrian prince in the hall. As we were leaving the palace, they went back to the workshop to enjoy their endless energy and enthusiasm.