Separate from the actual city in Istanbul, Turkey,
sits the unbelievably gorgeous Topkapi Palace filled with an
abundance of stories to tell. Since the year 1478, constructed under
the order of Sultan Mehmet, this palace has dealt with attempted
thievery, activities of war, Sultan after Sultan with their wives
and concubines and more. To this day there are sections which have
lasted impeccably, some restored and others seen in its majestic
age.
The palace itself consists of two main structural departments.
Firstly, educational and administrative; and secondly, the living
quarters of the Sultan. Imperial Gate is a gracious entrance
followed by the Courtyard I and the Courtyard II which is also the
Divan Square with an exterior treasury and other such enticing
aspects. Courtyard III is home to the imperial wardrobe, the chamber
of treasury, etc. Courtyard IV considered the imperial sofa would
have been perhaps the least favorite as it consists of the
circumcision room, yikes, the Revan Pavilion, Baghdad Pavilion,
evening meal of Ramadan Pergola, the sofa pavilion and this list
continues.
There then is the Harem section which holds a higher rating in
history as it holds the women’s quarters. There are several stone
courtyards including that of the head wives and concubines. This
women’s territory has a Turkish bath area, flats for the head of
wives, dormitories for the concubines, ‘fourty stairs’ and a
hospital. The stone courtyard for the Sultan’s mother comprises of
her very own flat as well as a sofa flat. The Mabeyn stone courtyard
is for the Sultan and prince. There is a section for the Sultan’s
sofa, Murad’s private room, Ahmed’s room and several luxurious
locations.
Built in 1693 from expanding an already existing tower, Pavilion
Baghdad has remained to this time in good condition. This beautiful
structure commemorates the conquest of Baghdad. There is an adorable
fountain in the center on the greens and is open to visitors.
Foreign interest in Topkapi Palace increased with the 1964 American
film “Topkapi.” The film is set in Istanbul, Turkey and featuring a
gang of thieves out to rob the Emerald Dagger on display in the
Treasury of Topkapi Museum. It’s a story on the Topkapi affair where
the strength and power within the palace is shown through the
actions of Istanbul police and all those within the palace walls.
Virtual Tour:
Get a visual idea of how the palace is set up and what it really
looks like. The quality of the images seen is amazingly realistic.
Use left and right arrows to look around and see different sections
of the palace and download
quicktime to see the film. On the left
side of the screen is a box of choices of every area in the palace,
select one by clicking and that image will pop up. This will give a
virtual idea of what to expect without actually being there.
Zoom in by your SHIFT key and zoom out with CTRL key.
Opening hours and admission fees:
The museum is closed on Tuesdays but open all other days from
9am-5pm. After 1pm on the first days of religious festivals the
museum is open to visitors. Religious or official holidays are on
January 1st, April 23rd, May 19th, August 30th, September 29th (half
day), October 28th (half day), October 29th, December 7th. Obtaining
tickets occurs only at ticket windows found in the first courtyard
of Topkapi Palace Museum. Be aware that there is a separate ticket
to visit Harem (women’s quarters). Entrance fee for Topkapi Palace
Museum for all visitors is 10 YTL and the fee for Harem is also
10YTL for all who visit whether citizen or foreign. One can buy a
ticket to the women’s quarters at the entrance to Harem. The Turkish
are now using a new lira as Turkish currency. One U.S. dollar is worth 1.20
new liras.
How to get there:
When coming from the Istanbul Atatürk Airport take the subway to
Sultanahmed. From Taksim take the Taksim-Sultanahmet bus T4 to
reach Sultanahmet; otherwise, take the Taksim-Beyazit bus 61B to Beyazit and then take the tramway or walk to Sultanahmet. Begin in
Sirkeci from the Anatolian side and take the tramway to Sultanahmet.
Leave the tramway in Sultanahmet and walk towards Bâb-ı
Hümâyûn to find the entrance of Topkapi Palace Museum. The
Sultanahmet Mosque is situated on the right side and one will not be
able to miss the Passing Saint Sophia Museum, Bâb-i Hümâyûn,
and the Palace walls in all its glory.
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