Topkapi Palace is the most important symbol of the Ottoman Empire. Located in the Fatih district of Istanbul, on the southeastern shore of the Bosphorus, the palace was built in the late 15th century. Let’s take a look at the history of Topkapi Palace:
In the 1460s: After the conquest of Istanbul, the Ottoman Sultan (Mehmed II) laid the foundations of the palace. The palace was built on the site of the former Byzantine palace on the eastern shore of the Sea of Marmara.
1478: Most of the construction was completed and II. Mehmed moved to Topkapı Palace. The palace became the center of the Ottoman Empire.century: The Ottoman Empire experienced its Golden Age and Topkapi Palace showed great development during this period. With the expansions made, the palace grew larger and became one of the largest palaces in the world. Century: The power of the Ottoman Empire decreased and the importance of the palace began to decline. The palace still continued to be used as the official residence of the Ottoman sultans.
Century: The Ottoman Empire came under the influence of the West and changes took place in Topkapi Palace. The palace began to be used as a museum and many important works were exhibited here.
1924: With the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the palace was opened as a museum and continues to be used as such until today.
is one of Turkey’s most important tourist attractions and is visited by millions of tourists every year. The palace’s fascinating history and magnificent architecture are among the important features that impress visitors.
Treasure:
One of the most important sections of Topkapı Palace is the treasury section. Many precious jewels, crowns, swords, various objects and holy relics from the Ottoman Empire period are exhibited. Among the most famous works of the museum are the 86-carat “Yellow Quartz” diamond, the 95 kg “Spooncian Diamond” and the Prophet Muhammad. There are unique pieces such as Muhammad’s sword “Zulfiqar”.
Living areas of the palace::
Topkapi Palace was used as a living space for sultans and their families. Furniture, carpets, ceramics and artistic objects reflecting the rich culture of the Ottoman Empire are exhibited. In different rooms of the palace, there are also places such as the harem room, rooms where the sultan and his servants lived, official meeting halls and wedding halls.
Weapon collection:
The weapons collection of Topkapı Palace includes the vast majority of weapons used since the conquest of Istanbul. Artifacts such as weapons, armor and archery equipment used by the sultans are exhibited here. The collection also includes important clues about the war history of the Ottoman Empire.
Islamic artworks:
Some of the most beautiful examples of Islamic art are also exhibited in the Topkapı Palace Museum. It was used here in mosques dating back to the Ottoman Empire. There are high-quality Iznik tiles, glass art, miniatures, manuscript books, hand-woven carpets and many other artistic works.
Topkapi Palace Gardens:
The gardens within the museum are one of the areas where visitors can have an enjoyable time.
Archaeological Museum: Artifacts belonging to different civilizations that lived in Istanbul before and after the Ottoman Empire period are exhibited. These works include statues, sarcophagi, coins and mosaics from the ancient Roman and Hellenistic periods.
Library:
There are rare manuscript books, historical documents and periodicals from the Ottoman Empire period. Topkapı Palace Library has one of the richest manuscript collections in the world.
Clock Museum:
Topkapı Palace Museum hosts one of the most important clock collections in the world. As well as clocks from the Ottoman Empire period. There are many interesting artifacts such as antique clocks and mechanical music boxes brought from Europe.
pavilions:
In the garden of Topkapi Palace, there are many pavilions built by different sultans. Among the high value ones are Revan Mansion, Bagdad Mansion, Mabeyn Mansion and Tiled Mansion. These pavilions reflect the architectural features of the Ottoman Empire period.
