Members of some Turkish newspapers and televisions were given on Saturday the first tour of the controversial presidential palace, eight months after the vast complex was opened in late October.

Journalists finished the tour of the 750,000-square-meter complex, dubbed AK Saray,in two and a half hours. The tour covered 1,024 of the 1,150 rooms in the palace.

Journalists were not allowed to film or take pictures inside the compound. Photographs of the compound were provided by the Presidency after the completion of the tour.

Built in the middle of a protected forest area in Ankara, the building has been at the center of a controversy since it was first launched due to its high cost, extravagance and legal troubles surrounding its construction. Several opposition politicians refuse to enter the complex, saying it was built illegally.

The presidential compound includes a 24-hour media monitoring center, where officials track television broadcasts, newspapers and news websites.

200,000 square meter part of the presidential compound is open to the public, according to protocol official Fatih Gürkan. The public area includes the Beştepe People's Mosque, which was inaugurated by Erdoğan on Friday, a library and a convention center that are still under construction. When completed, the library will be the biggest in Turkey, with 5 million books.

Officals said applications from individuals to visit the compound will begin to be received one or one and a half months later, following which visitor groups will be allowed into the compound for tours.

Leftovers from the meals served in the palace are sent to animal shelters, officials also said.

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