The Topkapı Palace (Turkish: Topkapı Sarayı; Ottoman Turkish: طوپقپو سرايى, romanized: Ṭopḳapu Sarāyı, lit. ’Cannon Gate Palace’), or the Seraglio, is a large museum in the east of the Fatih district of Istanbul in Turkey. In the 15th and 16th centuries it served as the main residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans.
Construction, ordered by the Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, began in 1459, six years after the conquest of Constantinople. Topkapı was originally called the “New Palace” (Yeni Saray or Saray-ı Cedîd-i Âmire) to distinguish it from the Old Palace (Eski Saray or Sarây-ı Atîk-i Âmire) in Beyazıt Square. It was given the name Topkapı, meaning Cannon Gate, in the 19th century. The complex expanded over the centuries, with major renovations after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire. The palace complex consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. Female members of the Sultan’s family lived in the harem, and leading state officials, including the Grand Vizier, held meetings in the Imperial Council building.
After the 17th century, Topkapı gradually lost its importance. The sultans of that period preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosphorus. In 1856 Sultan Abdulmejid I decided to move the court to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace. Topkapı retained some of its functions, including the imperial treasury, library and mint.
After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, a government decree dated April 3, 1924 transformed Topkapı into a museum. Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism now administers the Topkapı Palace Museum. The palace complex has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public as of 2020, including the Ottoman Imperial Harem and the treasury, called hazine where the Spoonmaker’s Diamond and the Topkapi Dagger are on display. The museum collection also includes Ottoman clothing, weapons, armor, miniatures, religious relics, and illuminated manuscripts such as the Topkapi manuscript. Officials of the ministry as well as armed guards of the Turkish military guard the complex. The Topkapı Palace forms a part the Historic Areas of Istanbul, a group of sites in Istanbul that UNESCO recognised as a World Heritage Site in 1985.
🏨 Hotels Near Topkapi Palace
| Hotel | Address | City | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neorion Hotel | 📍 Hoca Paşa, Orhaniye Cd. No:14, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | 📞 +90 212 527 90 90 | neorionhotel.com/ |
| Wyndham Grand Istanbul Kalamis Marina Hotel | 📍 Fenerbahçe, Fener Kalamış Cd. No 38, 34726 Kadıköy/İstanbul, Turkey | Kadıköy | 📞 +90 216 400 00 00 | wyndhamhotels.com/tr-tr/wyndham-grand/istanbul-turkey/wyndham-grand-istanbul-kalamis-marina/overview |
| Grand Hyatt Istanbul | 📍 Harbiye Mah, Taşkışla Cd. No.1, 34367 Şişli/İstanbul, Turkey | Şişli | 📞 +90 212 368 12 34 | hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/turkey/grand-hyatt-istanbul/istan |
| Antusa Palace Hotel | 📍 Alemdar, Dr. Eminpaşa Sk. No:7, 34400 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | 📞 +90 212 511 07 71 | antusapalacehotel.com/ |
| Hotel Sultanahmet Palace | 📍 Sultan Ahmet, Torun Sk. No:19, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | 📞 +90 212 458 04 60 | sultanahmetpalace.com/ |
| Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul | 📍 Sinanpaşa, Hayrettin İskelesi Sk. D:No.1, 34353 Beşiktaş/İstanbul, Turkey | Beşiktaş | 📞 +90 212 275 88 88 | shangri-la.com/en/istanbul/shangrila/ |
| Ciragan Palace Kempinski | 📍 Yıldız, Çırağan Cd. No:32, 34349 Beşiktaş/İstanbul, Turkey | Beşiktaş | 📞 +90 212 326 46 46 | kempinski.com/tr/istanbul/ciragan-palace/ |
| Arden Cıty Hotel | 📍 Alemdar, Prof. Kazım İsmail Gürkan Cd. No:2, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | 📞 +90 212 528 93 93 | hotelarden.com/ |
| Mercure Istanbul Sirkeci | 📍 Hobyar, Muhzirbaşı Sk. No6, 34112 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | 📞 +90 212 398 00 00 | all.accor.com/lien_externe.svlt |
| Barbera Hotel, Istanbul | 📍 Hocapaşa Mah, Nöbethane Caddesi, Darüssade Sk. No:17-19, 34110 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | 📞 +90 212 526 83 83 | barberahotel.com/ |
🎉 Tourist attractions Near Topkapi Palace
| Top attraction | Address | City | Discover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahırkapı Fog Horn and Lighthouse | 📍 Cankurtaran, Kennedy Cd. No:151, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Lighthouse |
| Sultan Ahmet Park | 📍 Binbirdirek, Sultan Ahmet Parkı No:2, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Park |
| Dolmabahçe Palace | 📍 Vişnezade, Dolmabahçe Cd., 34357 Beşiktaş/İstanbul, Turkey | Beşiktaş | Palace |
| Istanbul Archaeological Museums | 📍 Cankurtaran, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Museum |
| Fountain Sultan Ahmed III | 📍 Sultan Ahmet Sultanahmet Meydanı Topkapı Sarayı, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Historical landmark |
| Topkapı Müzesi Alay Köşkü | 📍 Cankurtaran, Alemdar Cd., 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Museum |
| Alay Pavilion | 📍 Cankurtaran, Alemdar Cd., 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Historical place |
| Hagia Irene | 📍 Cankurtaran, Topkapı Sarayı No:1, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Museum |
| Maiden’s Tower | 📍 Salacak, 34668 Üsküdar/İstanbul, Turkey | Üsküdar | Historical place |
| Topkapı Palace Harem | 📍 Cankurtaran, Harem İçi Sultanahmet Topkapı Sarayı, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Turkey | Fatih | Museum |
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Full Tour Inside the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul Turkey 2022 #türkiye
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