Topkapi Palace was created on the orders of Mehmed II, the 23-year-old sultan who captured the Roman city of Constantinople in 1453 and made it the capital of his mighty Ottoman empire, under the new name of Istanbul. The palace was constructed between 1459 and 1478 and rapidly grew to become a jumbled complex of elaborate living quarters and administrative offices. The layout of the palace features a series of interconnected courtyards which progress inwards, from the first, which was open to all citizens, through to the fourth, where the sultans had their gardens and harem and private living area. Today visitors can enter the gardens and courtyards, and take a guided tour of the harem to gain an impression of the extravagant lifestyle of the rulers of one of the world’s greatest empires.
Air: Istanbul Atatürk Airport, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. Rail: Train: Sirkeci Station. Tram: Sultanahmet. Road: Bus: Public services. Car: E80 or D100 (from Ankara, Izmit or Greece).

Topkapi Palace Museum, 34400 Sarayii, Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey
Tel: (0212) 512 0480 or 512 0484
Website: www.kultur.gov.tr

Turkey, Istanbul