An Affair Proving Topkapi Built to Withstand

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.

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.
Topkapi Palace Virtual Tour
Bab-ı Humayun Babu-s Selam II.Courtyard 1 II.Courtyard 2 II.Courtyard 3 Divan-ı Hümayun 1 Divan-ı Hümayun 2 Zülüflü Baltacılar Koğuşu 1 Zülüflü Baltacılar Koğuşu 2 Kitchen Babü-s Saade Arz Odası III.Courtyard 1 III.Courtyard 2 III.Courtyard 3 Enderun Library Chamber of Sacred Relics Chamber of Treasury Chamber of Treasury IV. Courtyard 1 IV. Courtyard 2 Revan Pavilion	Baghdad Pavilion Sofa Pavilion Circumcision Room 1 Circumcision Room 2 Harem Eunuchs 1 Harem Eunuchs 2 Harem Eunuchs 3 Harem 1 Harem 2 Mother Of Sultan’s Flat 1 Mother Of Sultan’s Flat 2 Mother Of Sultan’s Flat 3 Mother Of Sultan’s Flat 4 Concubine Dormitories Hospital Sultan’s Sofa 1 Sultan’s Sofa 2 Sultan’s Sofa 3 Sultan’s Sofa 4 Sultan’s Sofa 5 Sultan’s Sofa 6	Zoom in by your SHIFT key and zoom out with CTRL key.
Topkapi Palace opening hours and admission fees: November-March Winter schedule: Tuesday : Closed Wednesday to Monday : 9:00 to 17:00 April-October Summer Schedule: Tuesday : Closed Wednesday to Monday : 9:00 to 19:00 Address : Sultanahmet, Eminönü Web Site : www.topkapisarayi.gov.tr E-mail : topkapi@muze.gov.tr Phone : (212) 512 04 80 Fax : (212) 528 59 91 Admission fee : 25 TL With Museum Pass İstanbul, you can visit this museum free of charge and without having to queue. How to get there: When coming from the Istanbul Atatürk Airport take the subway to Sultanahmet. 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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