TOPKAPI PALACE

TOPKAPI PALACE

Topkapi Palace used to be the residence of the Ottoman sultans and the administrative and educational center of the state. It was built by the Sultan II Mehmed, The Conqueror of Istanbul, between 1460 and 1478. A number of additions were made over time. The Ottoman sultans and the royal family, along with imperial staff, resided there until the mid-19th century. After the Ottoman monarchy was abolished in 1922, Topkapı Palace was converted into a museum on April 3, 1924.

The Ottoman philosophy of the state and the relations between the palace and its subjects played a major role in determining the design of Topkapi Palace, which developed and grew for centuries. In addition, during the period when Topkapı was first built, Mehmed II was inspired by Edirne Palace’s grandeur and as well as its design.

Topkapi Palace is a modest palace; the Empire's large expenditures were mostly for magnificent mosques, barracks, bridges, caravanserais and accommodation facilities. Even Mimar Sinan, the most famous architect of the century, built only one section of this palace. But as well as the palace's unique buildings, exquisite tiles and structure intertwined with nature, its location in Sarayburnu adds to its natural beauty and splendor.

Topkapi Palace's extraordinary wealth of collections and its history, interwoven with fascinating stories, make this palace one of the most spectacular in the world. The Imperial Treasury, European porcelain and glass, copper and Tombak kitchenware, Chinese and Japanese porcelains, silver, holy relics and the Office of the Holy Mantle, Istanbul glass and porcelain, the Sultan’s clothes, images, a collection of portraits of Sultans are among the valuable collections on display in the museum.