Explore Topkapi Palace

Explore Topkapi Palace
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Information About Topkapi Palace

Where is Topkapi Palace Located?

Located in the heart of Istanbul's historic district, Topkapi Palace is located in Cankurtaran in the Fatih area near the Golden Horn Bay and the Sea of Marmara, with a direct view of the Bosphorus, the natural geographical barrier between the continents of Asia and Europe.

Information About Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace Opening Hours

Local and foreign tourists can visit Topkapi Museum and Palace all weekdays from 10 am until 4 pm Istanbul time, except on Tuesdays each week.

The hours allowed to visit the palace increase from November to April each year, during which closing time is at 6:45 pm.

Topkapi Museum Ticket Prices

Ticket prices to the Topkapi Museum and Palace, according to the recent pricing of the Directorate General of National Palaces in Turkey, range from 200 to 285 Turkish liras. The price difference is due to the number of sections visited within this huge Palace, Istanbul's largest Ottoman Palace.

Topkapi Palace Parts

1. Outdoor Courtyard

The grand courtyard of the Palace, known as Alay Pavilion, is the main courtyard of Topkapi Palace, showing the exterior features of the Topkapi Museum and Palace components.

The exterior courtyard of Topkapi Palace comprises a large square used for official celebrations in the Ottoman Period, such as the inauguration ceremonies of the new sultans.

Hagia Irene Church is one of the prominent monuments of Topkapi Palace, a Byzantine church used as a weapons depot in the Ottoman Period.

The exterior courtyard of Topkapi Palace also houses a bakery, a hospital and a wood warehouse that was among the Palace's main facilities.

Topkapi Palace Parts

2. Divan Square

It is also called the Square of Justice, where state affairs were administered during the Ottoman Empire.

This section contains a meeting room for ministers and judges of the Ottoman Empire, as well as royal stables, a guard section, and palace kitchens.

Divan Square in Topkapi Palace also has an outdoor closet where the weapons of the Ottoman sultans are displayed.

Sultan's Accommodation

3. Sultan's Accommodation

It is one of the Palace's important interior courtyards, which can be accessed through the Felicity Gate, dedicated to accommodating 22 sultans of the Ottoman Empire.

The Sultan's private residence at Topkapi Palace houses the Palace's private school, as well as sultan Ahmed III's library.

This pavilion is of great importance because it contains great Islamic monuments, such as the prophet Muhammad's robe and sword displayed within the museum and a copy of the Holy Quran and rare historical manuscripts.

This courtyard contains the museum's imperial collection of jewellery, where the world's largest diamonds are displayed, as well as a collection of jewellery and gemstones.

prophet Muhammad's robe and sword

4. Topkapi Haremlek

It is one of the main sections of Topkapi Palace, which is the section of the Sultan's wives and accompanying servants, characterized by its large size and many rooms. It also houses the Sultan's wife's main room and a royal bath for the Sultan's wives.

5. Topkapi Palace's Parks

Topkapi Palace has a range of beautiful gardens, the most important of which are the Sultan's hanging gardens inside the Palace and Gulhane Park, which is located on a hill at the back of the Palace.

Gulhane Park features a variety of trees, plants, and flowers, especially the charming tulips, one of the interests of the Ottoman Sultans.

Topkapi Palace's Parks

The Most Prominent Tourist Monuments Nearby Topkapi Palace

  • Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque): It is next to the Topkapi Palace and can be reached via the tramway line just one stop away.
  • Hagia Sofia Mosque: the icon of the Islamic conquest of Istanbul
  • The Grand Bazaar in Beyazit: the city's famous historic market
  • Eminonu: the area from which cruises cross the Bosphorus to the Asian part of Istanbul

FAQ about Topkapi Palace

Sultan Mehmet Fatih ordered the construction of Topkapi Palace under the supervision of a group of geniuses of the architects of the Ottoman Empire; the most important of them was architect Sinan, one of the most famous and important architects of the period.

The construction of the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul began seven years after the city was opened in 1460, and it lasted for 18 years until it was completed in 1478.

Located next to the Blue Mosque or Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace is just a 6-minute walk and 2 minutes by tramway.

Topkapi Palace is a 28-minute drive and 35 minutes by public transport away from taksim.

 

Visiting Topkapi Museum and Palace is one of the most important tourist programs accredited by the Safaraq Tourism team. We offer a Turkish driver speaking Arabic in a private car taking tourists on special tours of the Palace and surrounding areas.

 

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Edited by Safaraq Tourism

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