The official residence of the Ottoman sultans for more than 400 years, the magnificent Topkap1 Palace was built by Mehmet II between 1459 and 1465, shortly after his conquest of Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was not conceived as a single building, but rather as a series of pavilions contained by four enormous courtyards, a stone version of the tented encampments from w hich the nomadic Ottomans had emerged. Initially, Topkap1 served as the seat of government and contained a school in which civil servants and soldiers were trained. However, the government was moved to the Sublime Porte in Istanbul in the 16th century. Sultan Abdu I Mecid I left Topkap1 in 1853 in favor of Dolmabah~e Palace. In 1924, two years after the sultanate was abolished, the palace was opened to the public as a museum.

Structure of the day_Topkapi Palace, Istanbul

The official residence of the Ottoman sultans...

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The official residence of the Ottoman sultans for more than 400 years, the magnificent Topkap1 Palace was built by Mehmet II between 1459 and 1465, shortly after his conquest of Constantinople (now Istanbul). It was not conceived as a single building, but rather as a series of pavilions contained by four enormous courtyards, a stone version of the tented encampments from w hich the nomadic Ottomans had emerged. Initially, Topkap1 served as the seat of government and contained a school in which civil servants and soldiers were trained. However, the government was moved to the Sublime Porte in Istanbul in the 16th century. Sultan Abdu I Mecid I left Topkap1 in 1853 in favor of Dolmabah~e Palace. In 1924, two years after the sultanate was abolished, the palace was opened to the public as a museum.

Mehmet II

Capturing the strategically important dty of Constantinople from the Byzantines in 1453 was one of Mehmet ll's greatest aclievements and a turn1ng point in the development of the Ottoman empirt> Mehmt>t (1432-81)was the son of Murat II and a slave girl. Ht> bt>came kno'M'l as "the conqueror," not only for taking Constantinople, but also for his successful campaigns in the Balkans, Hungary, the Crimea, and elsewhere. In 30 years as sultan, he rebui It his new capital, reorganized the government codified the law and set up colleges that excelled in mathematics and astronomy.

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THE CAGE

A nev..r sultan woold crder the execution of his brothers to avoid succession contests From the 17th century, brothers were spared, but were incarcerated 10 the notcrioos "Cage," a set of rooms 10 the harem.

library of Ahmet Ill

Erected in 1719, thelibrary is an elegant marble building. This ornamental fountain is setinto the wall beiCMI its main entrance.

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Baghdad Pavilion

In 1639, Murat IV built ltlis pavilion to celebrate ........ !II his capture of Baghdad. Its wa lis have exquisite blue-and-white tile work.

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Divan

The viziers of the imperial council met in this chamber; sometimes they were secretly watched by the sultan.

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lftariye Pavilion

lklder the golden roof of this pavilion, Sultan Ahmed Ill awarded gold coins to those who had entertained him during a festival to honor the circumcision of his sons in 1720.

Ll FE IN THE HAREM

The word "harem" derives from the /liab1cfor "forbidden." It was the residence of the sultan's wives, concubines, children, and mother (the most powerful woman), who were guarded by black s lave eunuchs. The sultan and his sons were the only other men allowed into the harem. The concubines were slaves, gathered from the farthest corners of the Ottoman emp1re and beyond. Their goal was to become a favorite of the sultan and bear him a son Compeution was stiff, for at its het!tlt a harem had more than 1,000 women. Topkap1's harem was laid out by Murat Ill in the 16th century. The last women left in 1909

PALACE COLLECTIONS

On dispi<PJ throughout the palact> are tht> glrttenng trt>aslJ't>S amassed by the Ottoman stJtans dunng their 470-year reign. In addttJon to diplomatic gifts and items commissioned from palace craftsmen, many objects were booty brought back from military campaigns. The kitchens contain cauldrons and utensils used to prepare food for the 12,000 residents, and Chinese porcelain carried along the S ilk Route The Treasury holds thousands of precious and semiprecious stones: highlights indude the bejeweled Topkap1 dagger (1741), and tht> 86-carat Spoonmake( s d1amond Mehmet ll's Stmptuous silk kaftan is among the impenal costumes in the Hall of the Campaign Pages. In the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle are some of the holiest relics of Islam, such as the mantle once worn by the Prophet Mohammed.

Topkap1 Palace, Istanbul

The Warrior

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Topkapi Palace, Istanbul turkey