Topkapi Palace Reviews (Istanbul, Turkey)

Top Topkapi

London, England, United Kingdom

April 14, 2013

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Best of IgoUgo One of my absolute highlights of my mini-break to Istanbul was the Topkapi Palace. Situated just beyond the Hagia Sophia in the Sultanahmet district, it is about 5minutes walk from the tram stop. Mehmet the Conqueror built the initial part in the ...Read more

From journal Istanbul - Things to Do

Topkapi - Istanbul's Top Museum (Pt.2)

by koshkha

Northampton, United Kingdom

June 5, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo On this occasion we didn't see the Harem partly because we'd been before, loved it but not felt the need to see it again, and partly because we were being a bit mean. If the tickets had been sold alongside the main palace tickets, I think I'd ...Read more On this occasion we didn't see the Harem partly because we'd been before, loved it but not felt the need to see it again, and partly because we were being a bit mean. If the tickets had been sold alongside the main palace tickets, I think I'd probably have bought them but once inside we found plenty to see and opted to skip the Harem this time. If you're going for the first time, don't have a tight schedule to get round and on to your next attraction and you LOVE lavish ceramic tiling, then I suggest you do pay the extra to see these additional rooms. If you'll only ever go once, then don't miss it. You cannot just wander into the Harem; even with a ticket you'll have to wait for your allotted time and join a tour group. If you're lucky to get a good tour leader, try to stick close so you can hear what they're saying. If you get one who's completely incomprehensible, then hang on at the back so you can get some better photos when people are out of the way.

At the Dolmabahce Palace, the guides are at pains to clarify that the Harem is just the name given to the private areas of the Sultan's family but I suspect this is a little bit of historical repositioning. Turkey's a modern country and not the type of place that likes to harp on about it's past of slavery and female exploitation. The Topkapi represents an earlier period than the Dolmabahce and the Sultans were men of eclectic and exotic tastes. According to my guide book many of the women of the Topkapi harem were concubine slaves, beautiful women brought from across the Ottoman empire to keep the Sultan entertained. It was of course also the place where the 'official' women of the family lived too – the wives and their children – all in purdah, unseen by men from outside the family with the exception of eunuch guards.

If you think the public rooms of the palace and the pavilions are spectacular, then the level of décor in the Harem goes a step or two beyond. Whilst the women and children were effectively captive in this area, they were birds in very gilded and very beautifully decorated cages. The standard of the tiling, the carving and the painting in this part of the palace are absolutely jaw-droppingly awesome and the finest examples of their kind

How long do you need to see the Palace? If you are Japanese in a tour group or from any nation on a cruise boat with just a half day to see all of Istanbul, you can do it in about 45 minutes but you won't see much. If you like to take your time, want to see EVERYTHING and don't mind sitting around soaking up the sun, pondering how life would have been in the days of the Ottoman sultans, and waiting for your entrance time for the Harem, you could spend 5 or 6 hours here and take a picnic. On this visit I think we were there about 3 hours and on our previous visit we were there for four or five. I'd say 2 hours is enough if you aren't massively interested and you skip the Harem and if the Treasury line isn't too bad. You'll never see everything and if you're anything like me, no sooner will you leave than you start wanting to plan your next visit.

You can very easily spend quite a lot of money (by local terms) on a trip to Topkapi Palace so it's worth knowing the facts before you go. The standard entrance ticket is 25 TL and the additional guided tour of the Harem Apartments is another 15 TL. You need to buy a timed entrance ticket for the Harem and if you are sure you want to see this part of the palace, it's best to buy as soon as you go into the palace or you could end up with a really late entrance and have to hang around all day. If you want an audio tour, that'll set you back another 10 TL and if you fancy a coffee in the only cafe inside the gates, it'll cost you an arm and a leg with a cup of Nescafe at over a fiver. If you want a proper sit-down lunch, you might want to consider selling your first born child in order to finance your meal. On the plus side, there's nobody checking to make sure you don't take your own food and drink so you can do that very easily. It will take a few hours to see the place properly so come prepared.

If you are going to try to see a lot of attractions in a short time, then it's worth knowing that the Topkapi Palace and its harem apartments are included in the Museum Pass Istanbul which costs 72 TL for 72 hours. The other attractions include the Chora Museum, Hagia Sophia, Archaeological Museum, Mosaic Museum (currently closed for renovations) and the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. Since Topkapi and the Harem plus Hagia Sophia would set you back 65 TL, any visits to the other museums are almost for free but could lead you to spend your holiday running around like crazy people trying to make sure you get value from your pass. Also keep in mind that most of the museums are closed on Tuesdays and the pass doesn't include other things that you'll want to see and which could cut into the 72 hour deadline.

More usefully perhaps, the site which sells the Museum Pass (http://muze.gov.tr/museum_pass) also sells tickets for some of the big attractions including Topkapi Palace. You can buy these before you go to Turkey, print off your tickets and then jump the queue when you get to the place you want to see. Don't underestimate how much you'll wish you'd done this when you're standing in a really long line in blazing sunshine watching all the pre-booked tour groups walk straight past you and into the palace. For example on our first visit to Topkapi, we waited ver an hour to get tickets and even on our recent visit we were waiting for 20 minutes. At peak times queueing time can seriously cut into your holiday. Also take note that if you don't want to buy the audio tour, you can still download the map here: http://www.acoustiguide.com/tours/Topkapi/Download_Map/Espro.Topkapi.pdf

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From journal Istanbul in May - Part 3

Topkapi - Istanbul's Top Museum (Pt.1)

by koshkha

Northampton, United Kingdom

June 5, 2012

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Best of IgoUgo For me Istanbul has a 'Big Five' of world class attractions. There are two spectacular mosques – the Sultanahmet (or Blue Mosque) and the Suleymaniye - there's the mega-fabulous church-turned-mosque-turned museum called the Hagia Sophia (or Aya ...Read more For me Istanbul has a 'Big Five' of world class attractions. There are two spectacular mosques – the Sultanahmet (or Blue Mosque) and the Suleymaniye - there's the mega-fabulous church-turned-mosque-turned museum called the Hagia Sophia (or Aya Sofia) and the two most visited palaces – the Dolmabahce and the Topkapi Palace. The last of these – the Topkapi – is probably my favourite of the lot and my husband and I spent a few hours there during our most recent visit to Istanbul, returning because we'd loved it so much the first time we'd been about 8 years earlier.

The Topkapi Palace is the most visited museum in all of Turkey and a report I found online claimed 8.5 million visitors in the first 4 months of 2012. There are a number of reasons for its popularity; it's in the right place, tucked away on the edge of the Old City where most people tend to stay when going to the city for a holiday but more importantly it's absolutely amazingly spectacularly wonderful.

Topkapi Palace sits on the Seraglio Point, a wooded hillside which overlooks the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara and sits on the 'nose' of the Golden Horn. The palace was home to the Ottoman sultans who ruled the city for over 400 years and originally commissioned by Sultan Mehmet II after he concquered Constantinople in the 15th Century. This spectacular set of buildings were constructed between 1459 and 1465 and are laid out in a series of courtyards which are thought to recreate the typical layout of a nomadic Ottoman camp. The palace was the main seat of the sultans until 1853 when Sultan Abdul Mecit I upped sticks to move down by the river in the Dolmabahce Palace. I can see the benefits of the river front location but at the same time it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to move out of such a beautiful spot as Topkapi.

The palace has been open to the public as a museum for nearly 90 years, ever since the Ottomans were kicked out with the formation of the Turkish Republic. It's still really popular with school groups and you're likely to find lots of small children in matching uniforms running excitedly around the palace learning about what a high old time the Sultans use to have. You could probably go a dozen times and never see everything, if only because there's always some part of the place that's closed for renovations. On our first visit the entire 'Treasury' was off limits whilst this time we missed out on the much less impressive kitchens. Like painting a big bridge, they no sooner finish one bit than have to start work on the next.

The palace comprises a collection of open courtyards with rooms around their perimeter and several 'pavilions'so beautiful that they're likely to have you yearning to totally redecorate your home in the style of the Ottoman sultans. IKEA it's not! The overall footprint is a large rectangle and the layout reminds me of a mixture between a Roman villa and an Indian Mughal palace whilst being uniquely different from either.

The so-called First Courtyard actually lies outside the palace walls. This is where you can find the ticket booths, a small cafe and lots of nice green lawns as well as the Executioners Fountain where the man with the sword would wash his hands and his weapon after chopping off heads for a public execution. The first and second courtyards are separated by a wall with the entrance gate in the middle which looks distinctly Disney-like.

The second courtyard is rather lovely with lawns and lots of mature trees offering shade and quite a few benches offering somewhere to sit down. If you want Harem tickets you can buy them at the office next to the Harem entrance – if you can't see the signs, just ask for directions. You'll find a rather limited and dull display of royal carriages which can be viewed through glass windows near the entrance. The kitchens are on the right of the courtyard but aren't currently open. The Harem is on the left side of this courtyard and a few very ornate public rooms just next to the Harem can be seen without a ticket and will give some hints of the opulence beyond.

Passing into the third courtyard, you'll find a much smaller space with the library standing alone in the middle and the treasury standing to the right side. We passed into the courtyard through the 'Gate of Felicity' only to find a long queue and since we hadn't taken a map with us, we weren't sure what it was for and so decided to come back later when the line wasn't so long. I would advise not skipping the line since this is for the spectacular treasury room and it does move quite quickly thanks the the cattle prods used by the guards at the front (only kidding!)

The fourth courtyard is my favourite as it's where you'll find most of the pavilions as well as the best views. The pavilions are a bit like exotic summerhouses decorated with exquisite tiles and paint work, with carved wood and fabulous old chandeliers. Their location slightly lower than the previous courtyards and overlooking the sea seems to suck cooler air into the buildings and create soothing breezes. The Bagdhad Pavilion is one of my favourites and looks like the perfect place for the Sultan and his friends to recline on cushions, sip their cool drinks and eat Turkish Delight (well, it is Istanbul, everyone should) whilst having a natter about how proud they were to have captured Baghdad. The nearby 'Circumcision Pavilion' probably had every visitor of the male sex crossing his legs and wincing rather than taking in the fabulous tiles and lavish gilding.

The palace has several special collections available to view. I'll admit we didn't even attempt to see them all since this was our second visit and since I'm sure we'll go again at some time in the future and I always like to leave a few bits to come back to. The Treasury is a 'must see' and contains jewels that will have you salivating and wondering at how anyone could wear such things without falling over. There are thousands of fabulous precious and semi-precious stones, many of them set in unique or unusual ways. Somewhat disappointingly, some of the biggest diamonds are the least impressive (due to being cut to maintain size rather than to create brilliance) but there is one diamond – a massive 86 carat beauty. This is known as the 'Spoonmakers Diamond' and was allegedly found on a rubbish dump and swapped with its finder for a few spoons. It is quite simply one of the most awesome gems I've ever seen (and I do go looking for them!) There are bejewelled weapons, fabulous jewellery including some egg sized emeralds, carved decorative items and gifts passed between the various royal families with whom the Sultans came into contact, fancy tableware encrusted with jewels, a fabulous throne and even a cradle, heavy with gold and jewels. The security guys – who don't have tazers but look like they wish they did – will attempt to hurry you along but try to stand your ground and take things at a pace that will give you a chance to read the explanatory plaques as many of the items need some explanation and the stories can add to their impact.

There are also collections of ceramics, arms and armour, imperial clothing, clocks and miniature paintings, each housed in different parts of the palace. If you are particularly interested in these collections, I suggest to take the time to get maps ahead of your visit and plan what you want to see since once you're inside the palace, it's really easy to just get completely overwhelmed by the place and forget what you were looking to see.
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From journal Istanbul in May - Part 3

A Palace fit for a Sultan.

by garymarsh6

Gravesend, United Kingdom

July 7, 2011

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Best of IgoUgo The Topkapi Palace.The Topkapi palace was the home to the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire for over four hundred years from the 15th century to the middle of the 19th century. Construction of the original palace was started in 1459 and the sultan took ...Read more The Topkapi Palace.

The Topkapi palace was the home to the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire for over four hundred years from the 15th century to the middle of the 19th century. Construction of the original palace was started in 1459 and the sultan took up residence two years later. It covers a very large area of Istanbul on one of its seven hills overlooking the Bosphorus straits. From the terraces of the palace there are super views over the Bosphorus towards the Asian side of Istanbul.

The purpose of the palace was not only as the home of the Sultan but also of the government and officials of the Ottoman Empire. It contained the treasures of the Sultan, his quarters, his harem, a bakery, kitchens, a Mosque, schools, a hospital, gardens, a mint and assembly rooms. It even had its own cistern where fresh water was stored. There were various pavilions surrounding the courtyard which all housed the treasured possessions and works of art. At one point it was believed over 4,000 people lived or worked in the palace complex. Some people never left the palace compound at all as it was like a city within a city.
The palace is not one palace but a series of four courtyards plus the Harem all with specific purposes. The whole of the palace is surrounded by high walls and each entrance into the separate courtyards are through magnificent gateways.

The first courtyard.

To enter the palace one enters through the Imperial gate which is the processional gate used by the Sultan into the first courtyard. The centre gate was used by the Sultan and the two side gates by lesser mortals. Grand processions would enter or exit here during the Sultans reign. The first courtyard is very large indeed it is almost like a separate park in itself. Within this first courtyard there is a church that is called the Hagia Irene and is still standing today although it was not used as a church once the sultan took up residency. It was used as a store room and an armoury. The first courtyard contained a very long pathway which leads to the gateway to the second courtyard.

The second courtyard.

The next gateway is known as the Gate of Salutation which is even more impressive and has two turrets either side of the gateway. To the right of this gateway is a fountain reputed to be the fountain of the executioner who would wash his hands and the blood from his sword following the beheading of criminals. Through this gate only the Sultan could ride his horse any other dignitaries would have to dismount before they were permitted to enter the second courtyard. It was here that strict protocols were adhered to as it was the courtyard where the Sultan held court. He dispensed justice and met with nobles and visiting dignitaries. Silence was strictly adhered to within the courtyard. This courtyard also contains the imperial carriages and the kitchens which had 800 workers who cooked and prepared 6000 meals a day to feed the city within the city. There are displays of cutlery and priceless crockery mainly from the Far East. In the far left hand corner of the courtyard is the Imperial council chambers where the council meetings were held also within this courtyard is the tower of Justice, the stables, the Armoury and the Imperial treasure house.

The third courtyard.

Entering through the Gate of Felicity you come into the palace residential area where the Sultan very few people outside the Royal family were ever permitted to enter this part of the palace without the express consent of the Sultan. Even the prime minister was only permitted to enter on certain high days of the year. As soon as you enter this courtyard there is another audience room housed in its own pavilion. Within this audience room are day beds and sofas. It feels nice and cool in this audience hall but it is sealed off on either side by glass leaving just a corridor to walk through. It is very ornately decorated. Coming out through this pavilion you are in the private quarters of the sultan with surrounding courtyard and rooms. Here are displays of the rich embroidered clothing, the Ottoman Jewellery including the Topkapi dagger and other precious gems, jewels and other bejewelled plate’s candelabras and other items all of which are on display behind armoured glass display cabinets. Within this courtyard is also a room containing the swords and cloak of the Prophet Mohammed along with a tooth and a beard hair. There is also his book of the Koran

The fourth courtyard.

The fourth courtyard was strictly for the use of the Royal family it contained the harem which contained four hundred rooms. Within the courtyard are various pavilions and other buildings including mosques, circumcision room, Kiosks and other buildings throughout the gardens and terraces overlooking the Bosphorus
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From journal A Turkish delight. 1

Topkapi Palace

by Jctravel1983

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

December 7, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo IntroductionYou're in Istanbul and then you have to see some famous places. On our list was the Topkapi Palace. I have seen a long ago the exciting movie Topkapi and I wanted to see this museum. I remember from the movie it’s a thrilling chase of ...Read more

From journal Istanbul part 1

No Concubines... But Great Nonetheless

by TianjinPaul

Rotherham, United Kingdom

July 7, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo I want to begin this review by registering my disappointment at the lack of authentic concubines, or even any ladies dressed in reproduction costumes, in Topkapi Palace's Imperial Harem. However, even taking this glaring omission into account, the ...Read more I want to begin this review by registering my disappointment at the lack of authentic concubines, or even any ladies dressed in reproduction costumes, in Topkapi Palace's Imperial Harem. However, even taking this glaring omission into account, the Harem was by far the most beautiful and interesting area of the Tokpaki Palace. The whole area is like a small town contained within the palace. It was, in the days of the Sultan, home to some of the most beautiful women within the Ottoman Empire. Those who bore the sultan a son would become immensely powerful in their own right. They were guarded and taken care off by a team of eunuchs who also lived in the Harem.

I have included the Harem as its own entry because, in Ottoman times, it was closely guarded and kept separate from the rest of the palace. And, because it requires a second fee to get in, TL15. The whole place reminded me of a Russian Babushka doll. As we walked through the tiny corridors we found them opening out onto even more ornate and wonderful sights. It was as though each time passed through a doorway, we peeled away another layer to reveal something even more wonderful. It created a fantastic sense of anticipation. I found myself staring wonder at each room or chamber, but simultaneously wanting to leave top see what was around the next corner.

The first part of the Harem is a small street, on which the eunuchs lived. Architecturally, this reminded me of countless other streets in Istanbul. It was narrow with small doorways facing directly onto the walkway. However, the whole thing was wonderfully edged in turquoise and dark blue tiles. This design style seemed to follow us around. There were scores of small quarters and bath chambers bedecked in the wonderfully delicate patterns.

The small rooms and delicate patterns all looked wonderful. However, it was only when we entered the imperial chambers that things really took off. The delicate patterns and lavish designs remained, but the whole place opened up on to a far larger and more dramatic scale. The colour schemes in these rooms also changed. The greens of the outlying areas gave way to a deeper reds and dark blues. I am not sure why this was the case, but it certainly served to create a feeling of greater opulence and made the area seem far more regal. Along with the wonderful decorations, the chambers also seemed to capture the imagination with the views they offered. The majority of them look out directly across the Bosphorous. It all certainly made me think that life as the Sultan would be very pleasant indeed.

The tour of the Harem ends on sun-drenched terrace looking out across the Bosphorous. By the time we had reached it, I was exhausted and was struggling to appreciate each exquisite sight. Even though the Harem requires an extra ticket, it is well worth it and is one of the best sites in Istanbul. Close

From journal Istanbul Sights

The Harem Hierarchy in Topkapi Palace

by almighty

Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands

May 8, 2010

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The bottom rung of the harem ladder was occupied by the cariye, or odalisque, a concubine of the lowest rank. These women were taken from their families as girls of 12 or 13, variously captured in war, kidnapped, or even bought as slaves. They came ...Read more

Do you Want to See John The Baptist's Arm?

by catsholiday

ashbourne, United Kingdom

March 23, 2010

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Best of IgoUgo TOPKAPI PALACE:We planned to get to the Palace as it opened in order to avoid the crowds so we headed on turning left out of our hotel towards Gulhane Parki and then on up the drive towards the Palace entrance. The tickets were 20Turkish Lira for ...Read more TOPKAPI PALACE:
We planned to get to the Palace as it opened in order to avoid the crowds so we headed on turning left out of our hotel towards Gulhane Parki and then on up the drive towards the Palace entrance. The tickets were 20Turkish Lira for the Palace and another 15 Turkish Lira for the Harem. We were there early so we headed straight for the Harem as queues build up quickly as numbers allowed to enter are limited.

Originally the Palace was built for Mehmet the conqueror not long after he took over the city of Constantinople in 1459. The Palace is a huge complex of several courts and living quarters and in its heyday it held a population of over 3,000 people from servants to concubines to officials and royalty. It was the last word in luxury and opulence and was the home for the sultans for over 300 years. It was really an entire city within a city and allowed the Sultan’s family some privacy within these walls. Originally the Palace was named Yeni Sarayi (New palace) and the name change to Topkapi Palace came in the 19th century and it was named after a gate which no longer exists.

The Palace has had parts destroyed by fire and other parts added over the years and covers a huge area of about 700,000 sq metres from the Gulhane Park to the Sea of Marmara on a high promontory. The Harem was where the Sultan’s mother, wives, concubines and children lived and of course the eunuchs who guarded the women. There are many rooms connected by corridors and courtyards within this complex. Many of the rooms were beautifully tiled and highly decorated and I particularly liked the Privy Chamber of Ahmed III which had walls covered in paintings of flowers and fruit and may have been a dining room – it is called the fruit room (Yemis Odasi) today .The Sultan and the Queen mother’s baths were also rather spectacular with golden grills and in the Turkish style with hot and cold bath areas. There are many other areas of interest in the Harem from the Golden corridor or road so called as the Sultan was supposed to have thrown down coins for the concubines on festival days. It is well worth a visit even if you do have to pay extra as it does give an idea of how the women lived and many rooms are beautifully decorated in an Ottoman style which is quite different from our style of this era. As you go through the Harem you are taken from room to room and eventually end up back in the main Palace through the Aviary or Harem Gate.

You could spend a whole day in the Palace but being unable to take in too much historical information in one go we chose a few buildings that we thought would be of interest to us and visited them.

The place that we found most fascinating was the Privy Chamber where there was the most incredible collection of sacred relics including; the staff of Moses presumably the one used to part the Red Sea, locks from the Kabah in Mecca, Joseph’s turban (not sure if this was Jesus’ dad or the one with the many coloured coat!), swords from the first four Caliphs and a carpet that belonged to the daughter of Mohammed and also John The Baptist’s arm encased in a metal sleeve. The most prized relics for Muslims are those that belonged to Mohammed; his cloak, his sword, one of his teeth, his battle sabres, an autographed letter and several phials containing hair from his beard. These items were considered so sacred that even the sultan and his family only visited them on the 15th day of Ramadan each year but luckily although Muslims still make this visit as a pilgrimage it is possible for anyone to see these items whenever the Palace is open. It is hard to believe that some of these are actually what they are believed to be but if they really are then, amazing and weird pieces of biblical and religious history is there for all to experience.
Another building that held a bit of a macabre interest for us was The Circumcision Room. This room was built in 1640 as a room for the circumcision of the Princes as circumcision is a rite of passage in the Muslim faith. Today it is of course empty apart from the decorative tiles which cover the outside walls and interior. They are recycled antique tiles from other palaces and are extremely beautiful. Inside the room is symmetrical with stained glass windows and fountains in the window bays. I am not sure whether the young princes would have appreciated the decor at the time but it was very beautiful.

The gardens in the Palace were once again full of spring bulbs and colourful. Some of the trees were interesting as they were hollow. Apparently they had been affected by a fungus which hollowed out the trunk but the trees are still alive but it does make them look a bit odd or very intriguing if you are a young child as it is somewhere good to hide.

We spent about four hours in the Palace and walked for miles in and out of the various room, kiosk and buildings. There really was a lot to see but it is hard to do it justice so I have picked on a few areas that most interested us to share with you.

If you are in Istanbul then this is somewhere you should visit.
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From journal A short week in Istanbul

Absolute Luxury: The Topkapi Palace

by Liam Hetherington

Manchester, United Kingdom

October 27, 2009

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Best of IgoUgo The Topkapi Sarayi occupies the most easterly point of Sultanahmet. To the south is the Sea of Marmara, to the east the Bosphorus, to the north the Golden Horn. This creates some quite heavenly fresh breezes around this pleasant wooded area, and it ...Read more

From journal Holy of Holies

Topkapi Palace is Breathtaking

by NiceGinna

Evanston, Illinois

March 12, 2009

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Topkapi Palace, the home of the sultans from the 15th to the 19th centuries, is a large compound; its most impressive area is the harem where the women and children lived, including the concubines. Here one finds intricate tile work, dazzling ...Read more

From journal A Cruise to Turkey, Croatia, and Greece and the Islands

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A Palace fit for a Sultan.

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Do you Want to See John The Baptist's Arm?

Absolute Luxury: The Topkapi Palace

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Top Topkapi

Topkapi - Istanbul's Top Museum (Pt.2)

Topkapi - Istanbul's Top Museum (Pt.1)

A Palace fit for a Sultan.

Topkapi Palace

No Concubines... But Great Nonetheless

The Harem Hierarchy in Topkapi Palace

Do you Want to See John The Baptist's Arm?

Absolute Luxury: The Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace is Breathtaking

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