DK Travel : Istanbul : Topkapı Palace

Topkapı Palace

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Fresh from his conquest of Constantinople, Mehmet II built Topkapı Sarayı as his main residence in 1459–65. He planned it as a series of pavilions in four courtyards – a tribute in stone to the tent encampments of his nomadic forebears. Mehmet’s palace was also the seat of government, and contained a college for training officials and soldiers. While government moved across the road to the Sublime Porte in the 16th century, Topkapı continued as the sultan’s palace until Abdül Mecit I moved to Dolmabahçe Palace in 1853.
Book your ticket for the Harem as soon as you arrive, and see the rest of the palace while waiting for your time-slot. There is a café in the first courtyard and a good (if expensive) restaurant, Konyalı, for lunch in the fourth. This is a good place to try Ottoman court cuisine, but it can be crowded. You can book a table in advance on (0212) 513 96 96. Don’t miss the fascinating collection of priceless miniatures and manuscripts situated next to the Treasury. The Pavilion of the Holy Mantle, in the Third Courtyard, is an important pilgrimage site and should be treated with respect.

Top 10 Features

1. Imperial Gate (Bâb-ı Hümayun)

1. Imperial Gate (Bâb-ı Hümayun)

Built in 1478, this gate is the main entrance to the palace, with gatekeepers’ quarters on either side. An apart-ment belonging to Mehmet II above the gate was destroyed by fire in 1866.
2. First Courtyard (Alay Meydanı)

This vast outer courtyard takes in all of Gülhane Park, sweeping down the hill to Sirkeci and including the 6th-century church of Haghia Eirene (Aya İrini Kilisesi), the wooden houses of Soğukçeşme Sokağı and the imposing Archaeological Museum.
3. Harem

A maze of rooms and corridors, the Harem was a closed world occupied by the sultan’s wives, concubines and children. A guided tour is a must.
4. Gate of Salutations (Bâb-üs Selâm)

4. Gate of Salutations (Bâb-üs Selâm)

At this elaborate gate, built in 1524, visitors were greeted, and high officials who had upset the sultan were arrested and strangled. The gateway leads into the Second Courtyard (Divan Meydanı), where the Treasury now has a magnificent display of arms and armour.
5. Kitchens

5. Kitchens

These huge kitchens once catered for 5,000 people a day. Now they display a marvellous collection of ceramics, crystal and silver, including the Chinese celadon ware favoured by early sultans because, supposedly, it changed colour when it came into contact with poison.
6. Throne Room (Arz Odası)

6. Throne Room (Arz Odası)

In the Throne Room, the Sultan would consult his ministers and governors, welcome ambassadors and other dignitaries, and host smaller formal state occasions.
7. Third Courtyard (Enderûn Meydanı)

The Gate of Felicity (Bâb-üs Saadet) leads to the Third Courtyard, containing the sultan’s private quarters and those of the Harem’s white eunuchs.
8. Imperial Wardrobe (Seferli Koğuşu)

8. Imperial Wardrobe (Seferli Koğuşu)

Fittingly, the Imperial Wardrobe is now the home of the costume museum, a sumptuous collection of some 3,000 elaborately embroidered royal robes.
9. Treasury (Hazine Koğuşu)

9. Treasury (Hazine Koğuşu)

With exhibits including the jewel-encrusted Topkapı Dagger and the amazing 86-carat Spoonmaker’s Diamond, the Topkapı Treasury may be the most ostentatious collection of wealth ever gathered outside of the legendary Aladdin’s cave.
10. Imperial Sofa (Sofa-ı-Hümayun)

The Imperial Sofa was a place to relax, its gardens studded with pavilions built by successive sultans. The finest is the Baghdad Pavilion (Bağdat Köşkü), built by Murat IV in 1639 to celebrate his capture of the city of Baghdad the year before.

Practical Information

Book your ticket for the Harem as soon as you arrive, and see the rest of the palace while waiting for your time-slot. There is a café in the first courtyard and a good (if expensive) restaurant, Konyalı, for lunch in the fourth. This is a good place to try Ottoman court cuisine, but it can be crowded. You can book a table in advance on (0212) 513 96 96. Babıhümayun Cad (0212) 512 04 80 Open 9am–7pm Wed–Mon $7 plus an additional $7 for entry to the Harem (tickets are available at the kiosk by the Harem entrance) www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr