How to visit Topkapi Palace (Istanbul): schedules, prices

Topkapi SarayiThe large sultans palace en Constantinople, is the largest and most fascinating monument of Ottoman civil architecture.

It is not surprising that it is included in the historical areas of istanbul that are declared World Heritage for the Unesco.

Logically, it is a visit that cannot be missed at any time. sightseeing trip to istanbul.

Residence of the ottoman sultans and seat of the political power of the empire, within its walls colorful stories of viziers, eunuchs, odalisks, janissaries y concubines with treasures that would delight any museum.

In fact, in addition to its architectural and historical valueas museum It contains an almost incalculable amount of jewelry, manuscripts, porcelain, armor, very rich textiles and works of art that belonged to the sultans.

Visit the pavilions, treasury rooms, Harem and look out Bosphorus It allows us to imagine a lavish court full of political power, but also mysteries, intrigues and dangers.

History of Topkapi Palace in Istanbul

In this place, expanded and modified over time, lived the ottoman sultans from the mid-15th century to the mid-19th century, when they chose to build new, more modern, European-style palaces on the banks of the Bosphorus.

They built this complex after the conquest of Constantinople because the palace of the Byzantine emperors was in ruins and uninhabitable.

However, the first choice of Mehmet the Conqueror It was another, near where the Istanbul University building is now.

A few years later the same sultan decided to change the location of his palace and chose the place we now know, on the first hill, where the byzantine acropolis and which included the walls that extended across the Golden horn and sea ​​of ​​marmara.

For that reason that residence was known at first as the New Palace.

As a curiosity, it should be said that the Topkapi name refers to the Canyon Gate, the main one of that wall.

The location, obviously, is magnificent and few palaces in the world can compete with this one for a more spectacular location.

Much of what we know today responds to the layout created by Mehmet, except for Harem and Fourth Patio, which belong to later periods.

As has been said before, the Topkapi palace It should not only be considered the residence of the sultan and his court but also as the seat of the executive and judicial power of the empire.

Its conception as groups of buildings organized around different patios responds to a way of clearly distributing these functions.

El First Patio, open to all, included some service areas for the palace, such as a hospital, an arsenal and a mint, as well as warehouses and the accommodation of palace service personnel.

El Second Courtyard It was dedicated to administration and anyone who had a matter to resolve could access it; The kitchens and stables were also located here.

El Third Courtyard was reserved for members of the Government and Cutting, Whereas the Fourth Patio is actually the sultan's private garden.

The Harem, where the women lived, is an addition that does not respond to the original structure of enclosures located around patios.

What to see when visiting Tolkapi Palace in Istanbul

Knowing the general idea of ​​the structure of the place, it is easier to visit and understand the function of each place.

The entrance to the premises, through the Imperial Gate, is located right on the corner of Hagia Sophia.

You can take advantage and, just before entering, take a look at the Fountain of Ahmet III, very ornate and showy.

As soon as you access the First Patio, with free entry, is the church of Saint Irene.

It is one of the only two byzantine temples in istanbul which was never converted into a mosque, and in fact was used as a munitions warehouse for centuries.

Currently it is only opened occasionally for concerts or exhibitions.

Archaeological Museum in Topkapi Palace

Within the immense enclosure of First Patio there is also the Archaeological Museum, which shows in its different sections one of the best collections of antiques from around the world.

La Gate of Greetings allows access to Second Courtyard. Right next to it is the ticket office.

El second courtyard It is a kind of garden dotted with different structures.

There is a difference with European palaces, which are usually a large building surrounded by gardens, since here we see the opposite, a series of pavilions that surround a patio.

As we enter we find the imperial kitchens on the right, which have been closed for many years for restoration works. The most attractive part of this area is on the left.

There is the Camera where he met Imperial Council, to which the sultan sometimes attended. Right next to it there is a weapons and armor exhibition.

The Harem of Topkapi Palace

Here you can follow two paths, go directly to the Third Courtyard or, better, go first to the Harem, for which you need to buy a different ticket.

La Topkapi visit It cannot be understood without going through this part.

The Harem, a name that means “private” or “forbidden”, was the residential area of ​​the sultan and his family, although here the concept “family” is not everyone's usual one.

In fact, it housed up to 300 concubines.

These were guarded and protected by a special body of black eunuchs, who were chosen with that skin color just in case one of them was not really eunuch.

The set of harem buildings It grew over time and therefore responds to a somewhat confusing structure at first glance.

However, everything is distributed in a way that strictly responds to the hierarchy that each person occupied in that place.

The central point was the apartments of the sultan's mother, that in this way he could control everything that happened in the harem.

On the route you pass through large halls and small rooms, through hallways and bathrooms, through patios and alleys.

The most spectacular place is the private chambers of Murat III, with furniture and fountains and all the walls covered in ceramics and paintings, and the windows with stained glass.

Al Third Courtyard you enter through the Door of Happiness or White Eunuchs, who were the ones who controlled access.

The first thing that appears is the Audience Pavilion, where the sultan received the advisors and ambassadors.

Topkapi Palace Treasure

The most spectacular place in this part of the Topkapi it is without a doubt the treasure.

The immense number of objects made or decorated with gold, silver, pearls, and precious stones is surprising, from thrones to the famous dagger with three immense emeralds, or what is considered the fifth largest diamond in the world.

El Fourth Patio It is made up of a series of pavilions dedicated primarily to the pleasure and rest of the sultan.

The most interesting part is the Marble Terrace, with a decorative pool and several kiosks; From this part there are magnificent views of the Bosphorus Strait and the Asian side of Istanbul.

Topkapi Palace visit schedules

El Topkapi palace It opens every day except Tuesday from 09:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m., with the box office closing at 17:00 p.m.

El Topkapi Palace ticket price is 100 Turkish liras, the general price, and you will also have to pay 70 liras for the special ticket to visit the Harem.

La Topkapi Palace entrance is included in the tourist cards that allow you to visit the museums of Istanbul and Türkiye in a certain number of days.

If you plan to visit several museums and archaeological sites on your trip to Türkiye, they are worth it.

Being the second most visited attraction in IstanbulIt is recommended to arrive as soon as possible and go directly to the Harem, which, being made up of rooms and corridors, can be very uncomfortable to navigate if there are many visitors.