Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

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The Baths of the Sultan and the Queen Mother, dating from the late 16th century, and decorated in Rococo style in the 18th, consist of multiple rooms - a caldarium, a tepidarium and a frigidarium. The ceilings were conceived to allow natural sunlight in. There is marble and golden artifacts everywhere, even in the golden lattice to protect the sultan or his mother from murder attempts.
There was a fire 1574, and the actual look comes from the reconstruction by Sultan Ahmed I.

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One of the wonders in Harem is the intricate decoration, where paintings combine with tiles, in a visual harmony that turns impossible with a close look to understand what is what. The gracious decoration, refusing the geometric simplicity common in Muslim art, helps to identify the feminine identity of the space.

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On the west side of the Second Court/Divan Meydani is the Divan where the Imperial Council met four times a week. The viziers used to recline on the cushioned benches as they discussed matters of the empire. Next door, is the old former Inner Treasury/Ish Hazine which was the pay office for the Janissary soldiers stationed here at the palace. Today, the Treasury houses a weapons exhibit covering weapons from the 7th to 20th centuries.

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You will need to pony up an extra 15 TL in addition to the 20 TL you already paid to get into the Topkapý to visit this home of the Sultan’s wives and concubines. Besides the Sultan, the only other men allowed in here were the Black Eunuchs, a group of some 200 Sudanese slaves responsible for maintaining order among the other 300 – 1,000 people living among the 400 rooms of the Harem. The centuries of intrigue and palace politics can still be felt within the various rooms that you visit, including the Quarters of the Valide Sultan – mother of the Sultan, the Sultan’s Bath and his chamber.

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From here the Ottoman sultans ruled their vast empire. Originally built in 1462, succeeding sultans continually added on to the buildings creating a city within a city – home to at least some 4,000 people. This was the center of Ottoman government until the early 19th century when the sultans moved to other palaces – most significantly Dolmabahçe. The Topkapý was abandoned by 1909, but became a museum in 1924 from which time restorations have been ongoing since.

You can spend a lot of time here on the palace grounds – one of the audio guides can come in handy to explain the various buildings and exhibits to be found here. Of the four courtyards, the Third Court/Enderün Avlusu is surrounded by the most important buildings. First, is the Throne Room/Ary Odasý and on the northeast side is the Imperial Treasury/Hazine Koðuþu. On the northwest side is the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle/Hasoda Koðuþu containing some of the holiest relics of the Islamic world including hairs of the Prophet Muhammed’s beard, one of his teeth, a lock of his hair, a footprint and a letter written by him.

Cost for foreigners is 20 TL with a separate 15 TL entry into the Harem.

The huge palace was built just after conquering of Constantinople in 1453. It was the main residence of Ottoman sultans till 19th century, when they moved to other palaces.

Palace is a full range of different type of buildings from sultans’ kitchens, library to audience chamber and famous harem. Some places are still quite oriental, and some are already made in Western fashion (let’s say, rococo details in interior).

I haven’t been to harem, as I though all in all visiting full palace area is too overpriced. Anyway, visiting main parts of it is quite worthy – to have idea how sultans lived.

The price of ticket for an adult was 20 liras.

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One of the interesting details in the palace is the eating system. Each room has a fireplace, with different models but all of them well decorated, matching the room. Those in the Harem are particularly beautiful.

The entrance to the second yard is made through a beautiful gate. It was the place where the foreigner visitors should dismount and be allowed to enter thus justifying the name.

It is not dated, but it comes from the 16th century or earlier.