Topkapi Palace

This Sultans' palace was built by the Sultan Mohammad II in 1462 and finished in 1478. It was the official residence of the Ottoman monarchs until 1855.

It's a must-see for its gardens, rooms which seems to be in a competition for most opulent decoration, amazing tile-work, impressive views, historical relics and gold, and the seemingly endless amount of small details that make it a truly unique place. I'd suggest taking your time to enjoy ever inch of it!

I'd also suggest getting there first thing in the morning (it gets crowded quickly) and keep in mind that you need two separate tickets: one for the palace and one for the harem.

The Topkapi Palace was the official residence of the Ottoman sultans between 1465 and 1853. It was home to all the extravagant fancies and grandiose banquets of the empire. These days, it's a museum open to the public.

Only around 20 rooms are open to visitors. You start the visit at the ablution fountain at the entrance before moving on to the eunuch's courtyard, the quarters of the Queen Mother, the harem, and the gardens. The magnificent palace also offers some excellent views of the river.

The Golden Horn, the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Bosporus... The Topkapi Palace is the spearhead of Istanbul where these three seas meet and end. It has one foot in Asia and one in Europe. It is worth staying a while at one of the superb views of the palace watching the ships go by, watching the hanging bridges and hearing the screaming of the gulls. This sobering place gives rise to a few questions like, how must the sultans have felt to build a palace in a place so unique? From their vantage point, they viewed ships arriving from Asia, led their battles and impressed their foreign visitors. Pure

Too long and crowded. Underwhelming except a few rooms that were recently renovated and have more in depth explanations and more curated expositions

Huge Palace to learn much about Ottoman Empire. Harem also can be visited with extra paying but not much recommended by me.

A unique collection of religions artifacts, crockery, arms and clocks