Topkapı Palace
Topkapi Palace is located in the Historical Peninsula, which is the most touristic region of Istanbul, should of course be at the top of the list of places to visit in Istanbul. Located in Sarayburnu in the Fatih district, Topkapı Palace was built after the conquest of Istanbul and served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire for 400 years.
Topkapi Palace was turned into a museum on April 3, 1924. It is also the first museum of the Republic of Turkey. It is one of the largest palace museums in the world, as it covers an area of 300,000 square meters and hosts approximately 300,000 archival documents.
When you go to visit the museum, you can see the Harem section, the Cardigan-i Saadet Office, the Privy Room, Babü’s Saade and the Garden of the Mansions. You should also visit the Istanbul Library, which houses the portraits, clothes and weapons of the sultans. You can visit the palace between 10:00 and 17:30 on weekdays, and between 10:30 and 17:30 on weekends, except Tuesdays.
It is not allowed to enter some areas in and around the building with a baby carriage. Although the Museum Card is valid at the entrance to the palace, a separate ticket must be purchased to visit the Harem section. If you are going to visit the Harem section, we recommend that you go to the palace in the early hours. Visiting the Hagia Irene Museum in the garden of the palace is also subject to an extra ticket. When you visit the palace, you should definitely see the Spoonmaker’s Apple. After visiting the palace, you should definitely visit Gülhane Park which was once the garden of the palace and enjoy nature.