Topkapi Palace, Center of the Ottoman Empire

This content was last updated on 24.01.2024 22:20

Topkapı Palace was the most important administrative center of the Ottoman Empire in Istanbul. The Palace, which is a very ostentatious building spread over an area of 700 thousand square meters overlooking the Bosphorus, is one of the most important visiting points of the Historic Peninsula today.

The palace was built in 1478 during the reign of Mehmet the Conqueror. With its flamboyant structure, it has become a symbol that shows the power of the Ottoman Empire to the whole world. During your visit to the palace, you will have the opportunity to observe the magnificence, palace life, food culture and many other important features of the Ottoman Empire. We can say that you need to spare a day to fully tour the Topkapı Palace on your tour of the Historic Peninsula.

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Parts of Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace consists of six main sections. These sections are;

• Bab-i Humayun
• Divan Square
• Regiment Square
• Enderun Courtyard
• Sofa-i Humayun
• Harem

listed as.

Bab-ı Humayun, the Sultanate Gate, is the most spectacular of the 8 gates of the Palace. It is known that this is the gate where the Sultan entered the Palace. Above the door is a magnificent tughra. The manuscript containing the tughra describes the 25-year process of the conquest of Istanbul.

Divan Square is known as the place where the state affairs and ceremonies of the palace were held. Ceremonies such as important announcements and funerals of statesmen were held here.

The Regiment Square was designed as the place where official parades were held and where the statesmen were integrated with the public. The "Regimental Mansion" built in this section was built so that the sultan and other statesmen could watch the ceremonies and parades.

Enderun Courtyard, according to the needs of the palace, health, pharmacy, mosque, bath, etc. where structures such as Enderun Courtyard is also called "III. Courtyard".

In the Sofa-i Humayun section, visitors have the chance to see sections such as the Circumcision Room, Revan Mansion, Bagdat Mansion, Iftariye Kemeriye, Sofa Mansion, Hekimbaşı Tower, Gardens, Sofa Mosque and the Dressing Room. Sofa-i Humayin is also called "IV. Courtyard".

The "Harem" section is one of the most curious parts of the palace for most visitors. One of the points where the least information is known about the Ottoman Empire is the private lives of the members of the dynasty.

Topkapi Palace Visit Information

As there are repairs in the palace from time to time, certain sections may be closed at certain times. For this reason, it will be useful to determine the time of visit by following the seasonal changes.

You can visit Topkapi Palace between 08:00 - 18:00 every day of the week except Tuesdays. (The box office closes at 17:00) The entrance fee to Topkapı Palace is 110 TL for domestic visitors and 500 TL for foreign visitors. You have the opportunity to buy your ticket online. In addition, you can get your ticket from the box offices and ticket machines at the entrance of the palace. It is useful to mention that if you want to see the Harem Section and Hagia Irene inside the palace, a separate fee must be paid for this.

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