Topkapı Palace, Ottoman imperial palace and museum in Eminönü, Turkey
The Topkapı Palace spreads across four courtyards linked by monumental gates, housing former royal chambers, administrative offices, gardens, and the Imperial Treasury. Each courtyard rises in terraces overlooking the Bosphorus, with interiors decorated in glazed tiles and gilded pavilions that once formed the center of palace life.
Sultan Mehmed II ordered the construction of this residence beginning in 1459, and it served as the administrative center and home for Ottoman rulers until the mid 19th century. The court later moved to European-style palaces along the Bosphorus, and the grounds were eventually opened as a museum.
The palace museum displays holy relics from Mecca and Medina, including the Prophet Muhammad's cloak and sword. Visitors also encounter elaborate Quranic manuscripts and Ottoman ceremonial robes that reflect the spiritual life at court.
Entry passes through a main gate near the first courtyard, from which visitors proceed through additional gates into the inner sections. The Harem requires a separate ticket and sits apart from the central path through the courtyards.
The Imperial Treasury holds the Spoonmaker Diamond, an 86-carat gem reportedly found by a fisherman who traded it for three spoons. The stone later reached the court and was set in a mount surrounded by smaller diamonds.
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