AMonumentIndependent states
Topkapı Palace
The palace where Ottoman sultans lived and ruled for about 400 years; a museum since 1924.
Work on Topkapı Palace began on the Seraglio Point hill on the orders of Mehmed II after the conquest of Istanbul. The palace overlooks the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara.
It is not a single building but a large complex of pavilions, kitchens, the Imperial Council chamber and the harem arranged around courtyards. The empire was governed from here until the sultans moved to Dolmabahçe Palace in the mid-19th century.
A museum since 1924, it holds the Sacred Relics, the Topkapı Dagger, the Spoonmaker's Diamond and collections of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.
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Updated: October 2, 2026