Topkapı Palace was the Ottoman sultans’ residence and administrative center from the 1460s to 1856. Today, it is a museum and one of Istanbul’s main tourist attractions.
Topkapı Palace was initially built by Sultan Mehmet II (the Conqueror, reigned 1444—1446 and 1451—1481), who attacked and took Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453. Later sultans added to the palace. At its height, 3,000 people lived and worked there. Then in 1853, Sultan Abdül Mecit (reigned 1839—1861) moved his court to the new Dolmabahçe Palace on the Bosphorus. Topkapı Palace gradually fell into disrepair and was turned into a museum in 1924, then refurbished and opened to the public.
What Does Topkapı Mean?
In Turkish, Topkapı means “Cannon Gate.” ___???___
History of Topkapı Palace
1453: Sultan Mehmet II (Mehmet the Conqueror) sacked Constantinople, and found the Great Byzantine Palace dilapidated. He set up his court in another location, later called Eski Saray (Old Palace), on the site of today’s Istanbul University.
1459: Construction began on Topkapı Palace.
c. 1465: The construction of Topkapı Palace was completed.
1520—1560: Because of the rapid expansion of the Ottoman Empire, Sultan Süleiman (Süleiman the Magnificent, reigned 1520—1566), refurbished and expanded Topkapı Palace so it would better reflect the power and influence of the empire.
1574: A great fire, which started in the palace kitchens ___???___destroyed much of Topkapı Palace. Then Sultan Selim II ___???___ instructed the famous Mimar (Architect) Sinan to rebuild the damaged parts of the palace. Besides repairing the damaged buildings, Sinan also enlarged and renovated them, as well as the Harem, the baths, the privy chambers, and various pavilions.
17th Century: Ottoman sultans began spending their time in newer palaces along the Bosphorus. Topkapı Palace began declining in importance and upkeep.
1856: Sultan Abdulmejid I ___???___ moved the imperial court to the newly-built Dolmabahçe Palace, which today is located on the north shore of the Bosphorus in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul. After this, Topkapı Palace functioned mainly as a treasury, mint, and library.
1924: The Turkish government, under President ___???___ Mustafa Kemal Atatürk transformed Topkapı Palace into a museum.
Where is Topkapı Palace?
Topkapı Palace is in the Sultanahmet neighborhood of the Fatih district of Istanbul, on the high point of a promontory called Seraglio Point, at the junction of the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn. In Byzantine times, this was the acropolis of Constantinople.
What to See at Topkapı Palace
Topkapı Palace is on the highest point of the Seraglio Point promontory, which was also the acropolis of Constantinople and the location of the former Great Byzantine Palace. Unlike the typical European castle, it is more of a palatial complex.
Within Topkapı Palace is an assortment of low buildings and pavilions, few of which have more than two stories. These are connected with galleries and passageways (including secret passageways) and form concentric courts and graduating layers of security around the innermost harem.
Topkapı Palace has five Courtyards (courts): the first is the outermost courtyard, which is open to the public and free to enter. After buying a ticket, you can enter the second courtyard and also visit the third and fourth courtyards. The fifth courtyard is the harem, which only the sultan and his family could enter. You must buy a separate ticket to see the harem.
The total size of the palace complex we see today is estimated to be from 592,600 square meters (146.4 acres) to 700,000 square meters (173 acres), depending on how the palace grounds are defined.
Note: Reenactors of the Janissary marching band perform every Wednesday at 11:00 AM in the second courtyard.
Sultan Ahmet III Fountain
In front of the first courtyard gate stands the Sultan Ahmet III Fountain.
Built in 1728 under the reign of Sultan Ahmet III (reigned 1703—1730) during the “Tulip Period” of architecture, this fountain was a popular gathering place. It is a stand-alone fountain shaped like a block with five domes. The exterior walls have floral designs with niches in the shape of mihrabs, and large calligraphic plates bearing the stanzas of a poem dedicated to water. The poem starts on the northern side and requires the reader to walk around the fountain to read the rest.
On the corners of the fountain are kiosks from which attendants would serve complimentary sherbet and cups of water. Inside the fountain is a water tank with a walkway around it for attendants.
Imperial Gate
The entrance to the first courtyard of Topkapı Palace is the Imperial Gate, located in the southernmost wall of the palace complex near the eastern corner of the Hagia Sophia church. Entrance to the first courtyard is free.
Sultan Mehmet II built the Imperial Gate in 1478. It was decorated with Mehmet’s gilded tuğra (a stylized signature logo) and calligraphic verses from the Koran. Niches on the sides of the gate contained hooks that displayed the heads of executed criminals.
First Courtyard
Also called the Parade Court or Court of the Janissaries, this courtyard was an outer precinct or park. It is the largest of the courtyards.
Hagia Irene Church
Just inside and to the west (left) of the Imperial Gate is the Hagia Irene Church. “Hagia Irene” is translated from Greek to English as “Holy Wisdom.”
The Hagia Irene is believed to have been built by Roman Emperor Constantine the Great (ruled 306—324 AD). In its atrium is a porphyry sarcophagus believed to have been Constantine’s tomb. Because of earthquakes, fires, and other insults, the Hagia Irene has been renovated several times.
The church’s current configuration is from the iconoclastic period of Byzantine Emperor Constantine V (ruled 741—775), who believed the veneration of icons bearing images of saints was idolatrous. All of the Hagia Irene’s mosaics and icons were removed, and only a single cross in the apse was allowed to remain.
The Hagia Irene was never converted to a mosque. Instead, the Ottomans used it as an armory and storage building.
Imperial Mint
Just north of the Hagia Irene and along the western wall is the Imperial Mint. Constructed in 1727, it now contains the museum’s administrative offices. It is not open to the public.
Executioner’s Fountain
On the eastern wall of the First Courtyard is the Executioner’s Fountain, where executioners would wash their hands and swords after beheading prisoners.
A wide, paved path through the first courtyard leads to the Gate of Salutations, which is the entrance to the Second Courtyard. There are two entry fees, one for the palace in general and the other for the harem section.
Gate of Salutations
Also called the Middle Gate, the Gate of Salutations has a crenellated top with two octagonal towers on each side. An inscription says the gate was built in 1542. It is richly decorated with religious inscriptions and the tuğra of Sultan Mahmut III ___???___. This was the first restricted area of the palace. Riders were required to dismount their horses before entering. The small room on the right was for visiting dignitaries and other official guests.
Second Courtyard
Pass through the Gate of Salutations to enter the Second Courtyard. The second courtyard would have been filled with peacocks and gazelles during Ottoman times. It was a gathering place for courtiers, and the sultan would hold special audiences for the royal court here. The buildings here were first constructed around 1465 and renovated sometime between 1520 and 1560.
Palace Kitchens
The Topkapı Palace kitchens are two rows of 10 domed buildings, each with two chimneys. In these kitchens, cooks prepared food for more than 4,000 people daily. The kitchens now contain the palace’s collection of silver utensils and around 10,700 pieces of Chinese porcelain, one of the finest Chinese porcelain collections in the world.
Dormitory of the Halberdiers with Tresses
A halberd is a long pole with a metal head, a point for stabbing, an axe blade for chopping, and a hook in the back for pulling riders off horses. A halberdier is a soldier who carries a halberd. The Halberdiers wore long tresses, braids, or locks to distinguish themselves as an elite unit. This building, their dormitory, was built in the fifteenth century during the reign of Sultan Murat III ___???___. Inscriptions on this building concern various duties of a halberdier and the upkeep of their quarters.
Imperial Council Chamber
The Imperial Council Chamber, also called The Divan, was where the imperial council, consisting of the Grand Vizier and other council members, met. The facade and inside have Rococo decorations dating from a restoration in 1819.
It had three domed chambers: the main meeting room, a room for the secretarial staff, and a room for clerks and records called the Divit (Inkwell) Room, which now displays a collection of antique clocks.
In the main meeting room was a fountain that used the noise of the water to make eavesdroppers unable to hear the conversations. Above one of the walls was a grill so the sultan could surreptitiously watch and listen to the proceedings without being seen.
Tower of Justice
The Tower of Justice, between the Imperial Council Chamber and the Harem, is the tallest building in the Topkapı Palace complex. Built like a steeple, it is easily seen from a long distance.
Inkwell Room (Clock Collection)
The Inkwell room contains one of the world’s most magnificent antique clock collections, including 380 mechanical clocks from the Ottoman Era. It is divided into sections for Ottoman clocks, European clocks, and pocket watches.
Outer Treasury/Weapons and Armor Section
Probably built in the 15th century under Sultan Suleiman I, this was originally one of the palace’s treasury buildings. The building now contains weapons and armor found in the palace when it was converted into a museum. Items on display date from the 7th to the 20th centuries and include Ottoman armor, helmets, swords, axes, and weapons and armor taken during battles or given to the sultan as a gift.
Nişan Taşı (Target Stone)
A Nişan Taşı, or Target Stone, is a cylindrical monument used in Ottoman times to commemorate a record-breaking shot made by bow or rifle during a competition. The targets were typically ostrich eggs, chicken eggs, or pots. The stone would record the name of the archer or shooter, the distance, and the date of the shot. This target stone commemorates a record-breaking rifle shot by Sultan Selim III in 1790.
Gate of Felicity
Pass through the Gate of Felicity, on the ___???___, to enter the Third Courtyard. During Ottoman times, this gate symbolized the sultan’s presence, and only those with permission from the sultan himself could enter. This included his top official, the Grand Vezier, who could only enter on certain days an at certain times, under specific conditions.
Mehmet II probably constructed the Gate of Felicity in the 15th century. It was refurbished with a Rococo style in 1774. Decorated with Koranic verses and tuğras, it has a central dome with a painted and gold-leafed ceiling, and a golden ball hanging from its center. Marble pillars support the dome. On the sides are miniature paintings of landscapes.
Besides being the entrance to the third courtyard, the Gate of Felicity was also the site of important celebrations. The Sultan would sit on a golden throne called The Bayram (Holy Day) Throne, which was decorated with 955 topazes to receive homage from his subjects. You can see this throne in the Imperial Treasury Museum.
Note: A reenactment of the sultan’s Janissary Band performs in the second courtyard every Wednesday at 11:00 AM.
Third Courtyard
The Third Courtyard was the private and residential area of Topkapı Palace.
Audience Chamber
Also called the Gate of Petitions, this kiosk is just inside the Gate of Felicity. It is surrounded by a colonnade of 22 columns supporting a large roof. In this chamber, the sultan met with his ambassadors and grand viziers, who would return the sultan’s decisions to the divan.
Initially built in the 15th century, the Audience Chamber was renovated in 1723 to give us the building we see today. It has a lacquered ceiling decorated with jewels depicting foliage and a dragon fighting a bird. The throne in the Audience Chamber has a cover made with several types of cloth and is decorated with emeralds, rubies, and pearls.
Library of Sultan Ahmet III
The Library of Sultan Ahmet III, also called the Enderun Library, is in the center of the third courtyard. It has a central hall with a dome, and rectangular rooms on three sides. The room opposite the entrance was the sultan’s private reading room. In the front is a porch and a fountain. Its design is from the Tulip Period of archictecture (1703–1730). The Iznik tiles inside are from the 16th and 17th centuries.
More than 3,500 manuscripts, some extravagantly decorated, about theology, Islamic law, and scholarly works in Ottoman Turkish, Arabic, and Persian were kept in cupboards built into the walls. In 1928, these books were moved to the Mosque of the Ağas, where they remain today.
Dormitory of the Expeditionary Force (Imperial Wardrobe Collection)
On the right (east) side of the Third Courtyard is the Domitory of the Expeditionary Force. Constructed by Sultan Murat IV ___???___ and restored by Sultan Ahmet III ___???__ in the early 18th century, it now houses a collection of some 2,500 garments that made up the sultans’ wardrobes. The collection includes kaftans (an ornate Ottoman tunic) and some 360 ceramic works.
Conqueror’s Pavilion (Imperial Treasury)
On the left side of the Dormitory of the Expeditionary Force is the Conqueror’s Pavilion and Imperial Treasury. Built c. 1460, it consists of two floors on a terrace at the top of a cliff overlooking the Sea of Marmaris and the Bosphorus. The lower floor was for servants, while the upper floor consisted of four apartments.
The Imperial Treasury has many artworks, jewelry, and money from the Ottoman Dynasty.
Room 1 contains
- A set of armor of Sultan Mustafa II ___???___, consisting of an iron coat of mail decorated with gold and jewels.
- The ebony throne of Sultan Murat IV ___???___ inlaid with nacre and ivory
- Koran covers embellished with pearls
- Jewel-encrusted looking glasses
- A music box from India with a gold elephant
Room 2 contains
- The Topkapı Dagger, with a golden hilt ornamented with three large diamonds and a watch with an emerald lid, with a golden scabbard covered with diamonds, given to Sultan Mahmut I ___???___ by a Persian Sha.
- The Walnut throne of Ahmet I ___???___, inlaid with nacre and tortoise shell. A golden pendant with a large emerald hangs below the baldachin.
- Aigrettes of the sultans and their horses studded with diamonds, emeralds, and rubies
- A jade bowl, shaped like a ship, a gift of Czar Nicholas II of Russia.
Room 3 contains
The Spoonmaker’s Diamond, a ___???___ karat diamon set in silver and surrounded by 49 smaller diamonds, a gift from Sultan Abdülmecid I ___???___ to the Kaaba in Mecca, returned to Istanbul just before the Ottoman Empire lost control of Mecca.
The Bayram Throne, a golden ceremonial throne made in 1585 for Sultan Murat III ___???___. ___???___ STONES EMBEDDED ___???___. On official occasions, the Ottoman sultans would sit on this throne in front of the Gate of Felicity.
Room 4 contains
- The throne of Sultan Mahmut I ___???___, a gold-plated Indian-style throne decorated with pearls and emeralds.
- The forearm and hand of Saint John the Baptist.
- Flintlock guns, swords, utensils decorated with gold and jewels.
- A gold shrine that once contained the cloak of Mohahammed (now in the Privy Chamber or House of the Sacred Relics).
Mosque of the Ağas
On the ___???____ of the Third Courtyard is the Mosque of the Ağas, displaying the books from the Library of Sultan Ahmet III. It is the largest mosque in the palace complex. Dating to the 15th century during the reign of Mehmet II ___???___, this is where the sultan, the Ağas, and the pages would pray. It is in a diagonal position, aligned to make the minbar face Mecca.
Dormitory of the Royal Pages (Miniature and Portrait Gallery)
The Dormitory of the Royal Pages is on the ___???___ side of the Third Courtyard. It has a domed roof supported by pillars, one from the Byzantine era with a cross engraved on it.
The lower Floor contains
- A collection of fine calligraphies and miniatures
- Korans from the 12th to the 17th centuries
- A Bible from the fourth century written in Arabic
- The first world map, made by Piri Reis in 1513, shows the coasts of Europe, North Africa, and the east coast of Brazil.
The upper floor contains
- A collection of 37 portraits of sultans and photographs of later sultans. They are copies, since the originals are too fragile to put on display.
Privy Chamber (House of the Sacred Relics)
Mimar Sinan constructed the Privy Chamber during the reign of Sultan Murat III ___???___. It once served as the offices of the sultan, and now houses the most sacred relics of the Muslim world. The relics include those of the Prophet Mohammed, brought by Sultan Selim I ___???___ from Egypt in 1517, including:
- Mohammed’s black camel-hair mantle (cloak )
- Two swords, a bow, and sabers that belonged to Mohammed
- One of Mohammed’s teeth that was knocked out during a battle
- Hairs from Mohammed’s beard
- Mohammed’s footprint
Other relics include:
- Swords of the first four Muslim caliphs
- The staff of Moses
- The turban of Joseph (of the Book of Genesis)
Fourth Courtyard
The fourth courtyard’s entrance is on the third courtyard’s north corner. After you enter, the first building you will see is the Circumcision room.
Circumcision Room
Built in 1640 during the reign of Sultan Ibrahim I ___???___, the Circumcision Room is where young Ottoman princes were circumcised. Its interior and exterior are decorated wth a mixed collection of rare, recycled tiles from the renovations of the Council Hall and Inner Treasury, and other buildings that had been renovated during the reign of Sultan Suleiman I ___???___. The exterior tiles have blue floral motifs. Each window has a fountain built into its frame.
Yerevan Pavilion
This small pavilion was built in 1636 under Sultan Murat IV ___???___ to celebrate an Ottoman military victory at Yerevan, in Armenia.
It has a central dome with extending apses. The outer walls of the colonnaded porch are covered with marble. Other outer walls are decorated with marble and blue and white Iznik tiles. The interior walls are decorated with more blue and white tiles. Inlaid wooden cupboards decorated with mother-of-pearl hang on one of the walls, and a fireplace occupies another. The windows are on two levels. The lower windows use a hexagonal honeycomb design, while the upper windows use stained glass.
Baghdad Pavilion
Iftar Pavilion
Terrace Pavilion
Tower of the Head Tutor/Chamber of the Chief Physician
Grand (Mecidiye) Pavilion
Konyalı Restaurant
Gülhane Park