Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace
Topkapi Palace featuring a river or creek, a city and a bay or harbour
Topkapi Palace showing a castle and heritage architecture


Stately home to the Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years with an array of Turkish design and foreign art.

The Topkapi Palace covers over 70 hectares at the place where the city was founded, and is surrounded by more than five kilometres of walls. Despite being a 15th-century building, it is excellently preserved, and was opened to the public in 1924 by Kemal Ataturk, the 'Father of the Turks'.

As well as the aesthetic pleasures of the architecture and art, the palace also boasts fantastic views over the famed Golden Horn, the Bosphorus Strait and the Sea of Marmara.

With its many high gates and pleasant, tree-filled courtyards, the Topkapi Palace is a enjoyable place to explore. These courtyards are also home to a wide-ranging collection of Turkish art and to numerous attractive features on the buildings' structure. Furthermore, a collection of over 12,000 pieces of porcelain from China and Japan are on show in the kitchens. There are a wide range of sultan's buildings, as each ruler in turn left their mark and added to the architecture on show.

A large section of the palace harem is open to visitors – this was the area where the sultan and his family lived, along with their concubines and eunuchs. Due to the fact that outsiders were not permitted to enter the harem, a shroud of myth and mystery came to cover it in the Western imagination. The 40-room section for the sultan's mother can be explored, as can the baths and domed hall where the sultan himself would relax.

The Hagia Irene, a former mosque, has been converted into a concert hall. It can also be visited as a museum, but special permission is required for entry.

There is no official guided tour service at the Topkapi Palace, but a large number of private tour guides offer their services outside the ticket offices. Open daily, except on Tuesdays.

Reviews of Topkapi Palace

4.6
Top destination
5 - Excellent
349
5 - Excellent 63%
4 - Good
169
4 - Good 31%
3 - Okay
31
3 - Okay 6%
2 - Disappointing
2
2 - Disappointing 0%
1 - Terrible
3
1 - Terrible 1%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

An interesting look at the old imperial palace. Do the tour with the Istanbul pass and learn about the palace and the history

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Long walk to the palace but worth the uphill walk. Allow at least 2-3 hours due to queues and the size of the palace

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

Don’t miss the Harem! Around 110lira to visit all

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

great guide which was a must to understand the building etc

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

A huge palace and pretty spectacular. As a bonus there is a small museum housing many Islamic relics, such as the first key to the Kaaba. There is also a little booth there where an imam reads the Quran out loud. If you've ever wondered where that voice comes from now is the chance to see it for free. Arrive before 9:30am to avoid long queues at the ticket office.

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveller

3 hrs min. Ideally a day required.

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