The decoration of the rooms and chambers of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan in the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey: photo and video tour of the residence. Topkapi Palace in Istanbul - the mysterious residence of the sultans of the Ottoman Empire and a real treasure trove Topkapi Palace

Travel organization| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Museum map of Istanbul| Topkapi

Topkapi is the main attraction Sultan Istanbul. It's like Red Square in Moscow Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Colosseum in Rome. Topkapi Palace can be called a kind of city within a city that hides a huge number of secrets: great Ottoman deeds were done there, from there the Sultan ruled almost half of the world.

On the first day of traveling around Istanbul, of course, we went to the Topkapi Palace.

How to get to Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace is located in the center of the historical part of Istanbul Sultanahmet. It is impossible to pass by, but here, just in case, a link to the map.

History of Topkapi Palace

As you know, Topkapi Palace since 1467 was the residence of the Ottoman ruling family. The Topkapi area is a huge complex of buildings, equal to about half of Monaco. This is a kind of city inside Istanbul, which has been created for centuries: courtyards, pavilions, mosques, fountains, baths and pools. Take at least 4 hours to visit Topkapi, because every tourist should see all this. And do not spare the extra 15 lire - be sure to go to the Harem.

Topkapi Palace began to be built under Sultan Mehmed II Fatih. It was he who in 1453 managed to conquer impregnable Istanbul, or rather Constantinople. Of course, the Suotan immediately became preoccupied with the question of where his palace would be located. The dilapidated palace of the Byzantine emperors was not to the taste of Mehmed II and he ordered to build a residence on the third city hill. However, the sultan preferred to live in Edirne, from where it was much more convenient to lead the campaigns and conquests of Europe. And the palace turned out to be too small for the broad sultan's soul.

The new palace, or Topkapi, began to be built on Cape Seraglio in 1463, apparently due to its strategically good location overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of ​​Marmara. By the way, I read in one of the guidebooks that there was a Byzantine acropolis at the construction site.

The construction of Topkapi was completed in 1467 and the Sultan immediately moved to the palace. However, Topkapi was used as a place for official receptions until the end of the 16th century. The women remained in the old palace, in Edirne.

Topkapi remained official residence Ottoman sultans until 1839, when Sultan Abdul Merjid I moved to a new luxury palace Dolmabahce overlooking the waters of the Bosphorus.

The name Topkapı is a modern version, meaning literally "cannon gate". However, the Ottomans called Topkapi Sarai Cedit-i-Amire or, more simply, the Palace of the Sultans.

During the heyday of the Ottoman Empire, about 4,000 people lived in the palace. Now the palace complex is a museum, consisting of the palace itself, four courtyards and a harem building.

I will divide the tour of the Topkapi Palace into parts:

On the way to the palace
First courtyard
Second courtyard
third courtyard
fourth courtyard
Harem

On the way to Topkapi Palace

The palace is located in the heart of Istanbul - in the Sultanahmet district. We rounded Hagia Sophia and saw the rich gate through which the Sultan from Topkapi Palace passed to Hagia Sophia for Friday prayers.

Along the walls of Topkapi are lovely wooden houses that have been restored and opened in them hotels, restaurants and cafes. If you go along this street, you will come to the Basilica Cistern. But we are now interested in Topkapi, where we are purposefully going.

Before entering the gate, look out for the Rococo or so-called Ottoman Baroque fountain of Ahmed III.

Well, finally we found ourselves at the entrance through the Highest Gate (Bab-i Humayun), from which the territory of Topkapi begins. The inscription above the gate says that it was built under Sultan Mehmed II, and rebuilt under Mahmud II and Abdul Aziz. The barracks of the gatekeepers previously stood on both sides, and there was a tower above the gate.

The gates opened with the first call to prayer and closed with the last. And only foreign ambassadors and viziers had the right to enter through this gate on horseback. We didn’t have horses, and we’re weakly pulling at the viziers, so we chapa on foot ... and now, a couple of steps and the idiot’s dream comes true - WE ARE IN TOPKAPI!

First Courtyard of Topkapi Palace

The first courtyard of the Topkapi Palace is located between the highest gate and the Gate of Welcome. Previously, the first courtyard was used as a place to store coal, hay, firewood, there was a bakery, a mint, a Janissary hospital and a water supply service for the palace. Today, the ticket office of the Topkapı Museum is here.

By the way, about the cost of visiting the Topkapi Palace.

We bought a museum card (Istanbul museum pass) at the Topkapi ticket office, which is valid for 72 hours and costs 72 lira (about $ 35). Firstly, it gives you the right to skip the line to museums, and secondly, it saves money (more about the Museum Pass).

You can buy a separate ticket to visit Topkapi (25 lira) and to enter the Harem (15 lira). It’s hard to say whether you’re lucky or not with the lack of a queue, so I recommend buying a ticket online - https://www.muze.gov.tr/buy_e_ticket

If you decide to buy tickets to Topkapi on the spot, then do not forget that tickets to the Harem are sold directly near the entrance to it.

The main attraction of the first courtyard is the oldest church in Istanbul, St. Irene. Moreover, it is considered one of the oldest Christian buildings in the world. Despite the fact that the church is located inside the walls of the palace, it has never been converted into a mosque. This is strange, of course, because the Turks have always been big fans of covering everything up, setting up minarets and turning a Christian church into a mosque.

Over time, the Janissaries arranged a weapons storage in the church, maybe that's why now there is a museum of weapons. And thanks to the excellent acoustics, from time to time concerts and various exhibitions are held in St. Irene.

So, we finally came to the box office, which was located in front of the entrance to the second courtyard, in front of the Welcome Gate. You have probably seen these gates in advertising booklets. The welcome gate is the centerpiece of the palace, supported by octagonal towers and lancet windows. These towers were built by Sultan Suleiman I the Magnificent. No one, except the Sultan, had the right to pass through the gate on horseback.

Second Courtyard of Topkapı Palace (Diplomatic)

The fountain located in the Second Courtyard is noteworthy. It is called the executioner's fountain because they washed their hands in it after the execution. By the way, the heads of the executed were exhibited in this courtyard.

There are 6 paths leading from the Gate of Welcome (from right to left):

1. Path leading to the Sultan's stables

The stable usually contained about 30 thoroughbred horses. We did not reach the stable, so we did not see the chief groom's room, where the precious harness of the royal family is now on display.

2. To the harem

You can talk about the harem endlessly ... therefore, I will talk about it in a separate report. .

3. To the meeting room of the Privy Council

The council usually met on Tuesdays immediately after the end of the morning prayer. The nobles were dressed in elegant attire and the courtyard turned into an important political platform. The Divan building was built under Suleiman the Magnificent and consisted of several interconnected rooms: the Council Chamber, an office for drafting court documents and the office of the Grand Vizier.

Maybe the Council was secret, but not for the Sultan. The room had a special lattice window, behind which the sultan hid and eavesdropped on what his subjects were talking about. Yes, and the territory was perfectly visible from the tower, which towered over the Divan.

Adjacent to the Sofa is the Armory (former treasury). From time immemorial, the state treasury and the personal property of the Sultan were kept here. All the generous gifts that the Sultan received from all over the world were also brought here.

4. To the gates of happiness (to the Third Courtyard)

The Gate of the White Eunuchs or the Gate of Happiness leads to the Third Court of Topkapı.

5 and 6. To the palace kitchen (now there is an exhibition of dishes)

Topkapi Palace had three kitchens. In the main palace kitchen, a detachment of cooks (from 800 to 1,000) cooked daily for 4,000 people. In the neighboring building there was a confectionery (khelvakhane), because the Ottomans were noble sweet tooth. Well, a separate room was occupied by the kitchen, where dishes were prepared for the Sultan's family.

Currently, ten rooms in the kitchen house the largest exhibition of Chinese and Japanese porcelain after Peking and Dresden.

Topkapı Third Yard (Enderun)

Enderun means "inner". Here were the chambers of the Sultan, where he did his daily business, away from the harem. In the houses surrounding the courtyard, pages lived, who from childhood were specially brought up to serve the Sultan. These boys had a chance to move up the career ladder to the position of khas odala aga or even to the vizier himself. 40 pages were divided into several categories:

Khas odals aga - pages who were trusted to guard the relics of the Prophet Muhammad

Khazine aga - guarded the treasury

Seferli aga - were responsible for bathing the Sultan

Killerli aga - were responsible for the food of the Sultan

The third courtyard welcomes guests with an audience hall. The Sultan, sitting on a throne with pillows, received here the Grand Vizier and important foreign ambassadors. And so that no one could eavesdrop on conversations, a murmuring fountain was installed near the entrance.

The next magnificent building of the Topkapi Palace is the library of Sultan Ahmed III.

A beautiful building with many windows arranged for the Sultan to read. I think it's great to collapse on the sofas.

There is a chic fountain in front of the entrance to the library.

In the eastern part of the Third Courtyard there is an exhibition of clothes in the building of the school of pages. Here you can see the robes of the sultans, which are made of expensive fabrics and lavishly decorated with the most expensive stones. Bathrobes in Istanbul were sewn from a special fabric that was produced in Bursa, and they were of two types. Everyday dressing gowns looked somewhat more modest than formal ones, which were decorated with jewels and furs.

After the death of the Sultan, his clothes were neatly folded into the treasury and aired every spring.

The Pearl of the Third Court is a treasure chest. Imagine, there are no copies in the treasury, all the exhibits are genuine, although it is hard to believe. Photography is prohibited in the treasury, so take my word for it - it's cool there! Can you imagine a throne embroidered with 25,000 pearls? And the famous 20 carat diamond? By the way, it is the fifth largest in the world. Among other things, in one of the halls you can see paintings depicting sultans. Basically, these are copies of European paintings, because Islam forbade the image of a human face.

Another unusual complex of rooms is the halls where sacred relics are kept. The basis of the collection was brought in the 16th century after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Sultan Selim I.

It is not allowed to take pictures in these halls, which is monitored by vigilant guards. But I took a few photos, because these halls are considered one of the best in Topkapi.

What are the sacred relics, you ask? The halls of the palace display personal relics of the Prophet Muhammad and relics of other prophets, caliphs and Muslim saints. For example, one of the pride of the collection is the personal mantle of the Prophet Muhammad, which fell into the hands of Selim I. The age of the holy mantle is about 1,400 years and it has been carefully kept since the 16th century in a golden ark, exhibited on a silver pedestal. Every year on the 15th day of Ramadan, the Holy Robe was visited by the sultan, the viziers and the inhabitants of the harem.

It is generally accepted that the Prophet Muhammad had 9 swords, 2 of which are now kept in the Topkapi Museum. In addition, in Topkapi you will see a letter on a leather patch, written by the prophet himself, his seal, banner, footprint and even a tooth, beard and mustache.

Of the valuable things belonging to other prominent figures of the Muslims, swords, handwritten Korans and various relics from the Kaaba have been preserved. We were lucky, and at the time of examining the relics, a live sound was heard in the premises, someone was reading the Koran. It is both a mesmerizing and frightening feeling.

Fourth courtyard of Topkapı Palace.

Climbing up the stairs, we saw the Divan Mosque.

Next is the Majida Palace, which is the latest building in Topkapi. This is a kind of parting gift of Abdul Mejid I, which he made Topkapi shortly before moving to the new Sultan's Dolmabahce Palace. The palace is not at all typical for the Ottomans, it is more like European palaces. This is not surprising, because European culture had a significant impact on the tastes of the Ottoman sultans. See for yourself, this palace is fundamentally different from everything else in Topkapi.

An important building for the Sultan's family was the chamber of the chief physician. There used to be a pharmacy here, where they prepared all sorts of "potions" for the Sultan's court. I think that women also got poisons to poison each other here.

The stairs lead to Topkapı's only wooden building, the Sofa Palace or Pavilion with Terrace. Initially, these rooms served as a place of rest, and later turned into rooms for guests.

Audio guide and map of Topkapi Palace

I think that many will agree with me - going to museums is much more interesting in the company of a Russian-language audio guide. Fortunately, Topkapi has this same audio guide.

You buy a ticket, go inside and see a small kiosk where you can rent an audio guide for a deposit and 15 lira (about $7). The deposit can be 50 euros or a passport.

Here they give a Russian audio guide to Topkapi

Together with an audio guide, we were given a diagram of the Topkapi Palace.

Download the scheme-plan of the Topkapi Palace

In Istanbul (Topkapi Sarayi) one of the main attractions of the city. For 400 years, Topkapi Palace was the main residence of the sultans. From it, 25 sultans of the Ottoman Empire ruled the country.

In one of the courtyards of the Topkapi Palace

A bit of history

It was built after the conquest of Constantinople in 1475-1478 by order of Sultan Mehmed II (the Conqueror). At first, the sultan himself lived in the palace, official meetings and meetings, receptions were also held here, and in the middle of the 16th century, at the request of Roksolana, Sultan Suleiman I built a Harem in the palace, where women and children settled.

How to get there

Topkapi Palace in Istanbul is located in the center of the old city in the Sultanahmet district.

• Travel by tram T1 to the Gulhane stop and go up a little, as if returning back. By the way, there is a beautiful one nearby. Or get off at the Sultanahmet stop and walk down past Hagia Sophia.
• If you are coming from the Asian side of Istanbul, it is convenient to use Marmaray and get off at Sirkeci station

Topkapi Palace opening hours

Topkapi Palace opening hours:

• from 9:00 to 16:45 from October 2 to April 1, ticket offices close at 16:00
• from 9:00 to 18:45 from April 1 to October 2, ticket offices close at 18:00
• Hot tours around the world

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In 1479, on the orders of Sultan Mehmed, the Topkapi Palace was built, which until the middle of the 19th century was the main residence of the Turkish padishahs. Today it is one of the richest museums in the world and one of the favorite Istanbul sights.

Topkapi Palace was erected on the site of more ancient palace Byzantine rulers, off the coast of the Sea of ​​Marmara.

"Topkapi" (sometimes pronounced Topkapi) is translated as "cannon gate", the name is not accidental, since every time the sultan left his residence, a cannon shot should have been heard.

What to watch

Topkapi is a whole palace complex with an area of ​​​​700 thousand square meters, consisting of four separate courtyards stretching for five kilometers. There was an orphanage, a treasury, a divan (something like the Turkish government), an armory (located in the building of the Church of St. Irene, the main cathedral of the princes of Constantinople), bakeries, the Sultan's stables, a luxurious garden and flower terraces with fountains, in some distance there was The tiled palace where the concubines lived.

The attendants of the palace numbered about five thousand people - over a thousand people worked in the kitchen alone.

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Architecture

The architecture of the palace is quite diverse, different styles are mixed here, because the palace was repeatedly destroyed due to fires or earthquakes, and then it was rebuilt, each time making certain adjustments. In 1856, a new residence was erected in Istanbul, which corresponded to the spirit of the times and was somewhat inferior in color to the Topkapi Palace, but since then only the wives of the once first statesmen lived here. In 1924, when Turkey acquired the status of a republic, the palace was turned into a museum.

Interiors and collections

Now there are exhibits that were once the pride of the Turkish kings. In particular, in the museum you can see perhaps the most unique collection of porcelain - only twelve thousand items, including white porcelain items, the only ones in Europe. There are also various kitchen utensils, silver cutlery, precious jewelry of the sultans and their wives, and even thrones made of precious wood, completely covered with gold, decorated with ivory, pearls and other precious stones.

In view of the lack of space in the Topkapi Museum, only the most valuable exhibits of the collection are exhibited, in total there are more than sixty thousand of them (only the Romanov and Habsburg dynasties left behind a richer legacy). In addition, there are also the relics of Ion the Baptist, the staff of Moses, before which, according to legend, parted sea ​​depths, the sword of David and the brazier of Abraham.

How to get

The museum is open from 9:00 to 19:00 in summer and until 16:00 in winter, the day off is Tuesday. Price entrance ticket- 72 TRY; harem - 42 TRY.

Prices on the page are for November 2018.

The most beautiful and formidable turkish palace Topkapi is located in the capital of the state - Istanbul. In translation, its name means "Cannon Gate". And such a name has gone because of the tradition of giving an honorary cannon volley at each entry and exit of the Sultan through his gate. The main Turkish palace has many names popular among the people: "Palace of Sultan Suleiman", "Palace of Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan", "Palace of Tears", "Palace of Lamentation". For a long time, this Sultan's residence was the seat of government for most of the world. Twenty-five sultans of Turkey, living here, held the reins of government of the gigantic Ottoman Empire.

The Topkapi Palace occupies more than seven hundred thousand square meters in area, including the outer part - "birun", with official and public buildings and the inner one - "enderun", with private sultan's chambers. This is a real city within a city located in Istanbul, with four huge courtyards, several pavilions, mosques, fountains, baths, pools and stables.



"Topkapi Sarayi" began to be built in 1475 by order of the Turkish Sultan Mehmed, who needed a working residence. The large-scale reconstruction and restructuring of Topkapi was started by Sultan Suleiman, whose harem was outside this palace, and he missed his beloved Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska, wanting to constantly be near her. Topkapi Palace was finally completed and ready for the resettlement of the Sultan's large family in 1540.

The main residence of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey impresses with its luxurious interiors and external beauty. This majestic complex building has numerous hamams, kitchens, servants' rooms, living quarters for the Sultan's family.



Tourists at the entrance to the Topkapi Palace are greeted by the first front gate "Bab-i-Humayun", built in 1478 by order of Sultan Mehmed II. From them you get to the "Court of the Janissaries", where in ancient times there were guards, they received petitioners, and servants worked. In this courtyard is the Church of St. Irene - the oldest in Istanbul.

This temple survived many trials, it was fired here several times, it suffered destruction from earthquakes, later it was converted into a mosque, and then into an armory. The "Court of the Janissaries" today houses the "Archaeological Museum", the "Museum of the Ancient East", the "Tile Pavilion" - the oldest public building in Istanbul.



Through the gate "Bab-i-Selyam" you find yourself in the second courtyard, where the "Fountain of the Executioner" is located. The fact is that in ancient times, executioners who carried out another death sentence washed their hands in its waters. According to the Ottoman tradition, the Sultan's brothers were most often executed as undesirable contenders for the Sultan's throne, and such "justice" was adopted by the "Topkapi Dagger" - a museum exhibit that is today in the palace treasury. It is very beautiful and decorated with precious stones, including large diamonds. In this very main courtyard of the Sultan's palace of Istanbul stands the Sofa Tower, where the sofa used to be - a meeting of nobles appointed by the Ottoman ruler to important government positions. Right there, the sultan communicated with his subjects, met visitors, and had conversations with the chief vizier. In this courtyard is the entrance to the harem of the Turkish Sultan, which is an intricate labyrinth of small rooms, a series of beautiful living rooms, living rooms for eunuchs. In the main courtyard there is an inner treasury, which is an extended hall crowned with eight domes. The Treasury contains the richest collection of armor and edged weapons. Here visitors can see gold and silver items, precious stones, beautiful rosaries, caskets. And in the former premises of the kitchen there is a wide collection of table china from China and elegant silverware.



A huge part of the palace complex was occupied by the Sultan's harem - "Harem-i Humayun". Translated from Arabic, "harem" means "forbidden." And this is actually so, because outsiders were forbidden to enter the territory of the harem under the threat of death. To date, the harem of Topkapı Palace has been recognized as " historical monument Turkey” and taken under the protection of UNESCO. But tourists can get here with a guided tour, however, they have the opportunity to get acquainted only with its first floor, where the privileged women of the Sultan lived, and his numerous concubines were placed on the floors above. The rooms of the harem are magnificent in their interior: the walls, decorated by the best architects of that time, sparkle with gilded inscriptions, filled with ornate Arabic script. No room of the harem is like another, each of them is decorated with an original mosaic.



Through the gates of "Bab-u-Saadet" you find yourself in the private chambers of the Turkish Sultan. There is the majestic “Throne Hall”, erected under Sultan Selim I. Behind this hall is hidden the “Libraries of Ahmed III”.

In the farthest corner of the third courtyard stands the "Pavilion of the Holy Robe", it stores Islamic relics that Sultan Selim I brought in 1517 from his own, as well as from Mecca. These are invaluable relics for Muslims: a tooth, a hair, a footprint, the mantle of the Prophet Muhammad. Here are the personal belongings of the first sultans.



In the fourth courtyard there are wonderful parks, swimming pools, pavilions, gazebos. Here you can admire wonderful views of the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus.

As for the hamams of the Topkapi Palace, it is worth saying that during the reign of Sultan Suleiman, the largest Hamam Hurrem was erected here, but now it is not only a historical and architectural monument, because it was recently restored and opened as a functioning hammam, where those who wish can go through classical SPA treatments.



At the Topkapi Palace there is a mosque and the tomb of the Turkish Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his beloved wife Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska Sultan, the former Slavic slave girl Roksolana, who exalted herself thanks to her intelligence, dexterity, and sometimes deceit and cunning. This beautiful mosque with four minarets is the largest mosque in Istanbul. There is a cemetery in her backyard.



Topkapı Palace was the residence of the Turkish sultan family until the middle of the nineteenth century, until in 1854, under Sultan Abdul Mecid, a decision was made to move to the more modern Dolmabahce Palace, since the "Palace of Tears" no longer met the requirements for holding official events. And in 1924, by order of the Turkish ruler Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Topkapi Palace became a museum open to everyone.



Opening hours of Topkapi Palace. You can visit the Topkapi Palace every day, except for the day off - Tuesday. In the period from the sixteenth of April to the thirty-first of October - from nine in the morning to seven in the evening; from the first of November to the fifteenth of April - from nine in the morning to five in the evening. Ticket prices are forty Turkish liras, which is about six hundred and twenty Russian rubles. Entrance to the Topkapi harem is paid separately - twenty-five Turkish liras or three hundred and eighty-six rubles.

We didn’t have a special plan for visiting the sights in Istanbul, so we started our excursions from the Sultanahmet quarter. What impressions we had after I described earlier. After Hagia Sophia, we rested a little on the benches of the park and headed to the Topkapi palace complex, which is located right there, to the right and a little deeper from the main entrance to the cathedral. Yes, we are a bit tired of emotions after visiting Hagia Sophia. However, when they arrived at the square in front of the entrance to the Topkapi Palace, they were again amazed - the Sultan's fountain, made in the best traditions of Islamic architecture (openwork, light, richly decorated), a close view of Hagia Sophia and its two minarets, chic main gates, the widest fortress wall - everything is very monumental, grand, interesting.

Square in front of the Topkapi Palace

Opening hours and the first courtyard of Topkapi Palace

The entrance to the Topkapi Palace, or rather through the main gate to the first courtyard, is free, only armed soldiers stand at the entrance, however, as well as inside. At the same time, the view from the park to the Bosphorus and the Asian side of Istanbul is simply amazing.



The time of visiting the museum, as always, differs depending on the season. During the summer period (from mid-April to mid-October), Topkapi Palace is open from 9.00 to 18.45, and the ticket office is open until 18.00. In winter, the museum is open until 16.45, and the ticket office - until 16.00. Day off - Tuesday. For the whole day, the museum is closed only one day a year - on Ataturk Memorial Day. And on the first day of Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr, you can get into it from 13.00 to 19.00.

For those who don't know anything about Topkapi Palace

If you are traveling on your own and you do not want to overpay for the services of a guide, then before visiting Topkapi, you need to be savvy about its significance, structure and attractions, so that it is clear where to look and what to look for.

The Topkapi Palace structurally consists of several courtyards, since, in fact, it was not just the place of residence of the Sultan and his family, but the administrative, cultural, and financial center of the entire Ottoman Empire. The plan of the palace complex is well presented on the official website of the Topkapi Museum. The first courtyard could be entered through the Imperial Gate (Bab-i-Humayun). It concentrated economic, service premises - the hospital of the palace, a bakery, workshops, a chemical laboratory (!). A smaller number of visitors could enter the second courtyard of the palace through the Gate of Greetings (Bab-us-Selam). It contained the entrance to the harem, the building where the sofa sat, the Tower of Justice (the sultan could not attend the meetings of the sofa, but listen to him through a special passage from the tower), the treasury, palace kitchens (their pipes are immediately visible from the sea). The Gate of Happiness (Bab-us-Saade) led to the third courtyard, immediately behind which was the audience hall, in which the Sultan received especially important guests. This courtyard was otherwise called the inner or "enderun", since the chambers of the Sultan opened into it. It also contained a treasury, a school for the future nobility, and an observatory. In the fourth courtyard (the newest) was broken beautiful park and pavilions were built in which the Sultan rested with his family and associates.

Topkapi Palace was not founded immediately after the conquest of Constantinople by Sultan Mehmet, but only in 1475 on the site of the old imperial palace. Prior to this, the rulers of the empire lived in the palace on today's Bayezid Square, from which nothing has survived. And their harem was located near Hagia Sophia on the territory of the future Topkapi complex (now it is the Tiled Pavilion). For a long time, the women of the Sultan and he himself lived separately, and only at the beginning of the 16th century was a large-scale reconstruction of the Topkapi Palace carried out and a new harem complex was built, in which there were a female and a male half, but now they were nearby.

The Topkapi Palace remained the official residence of the Sultans until the middle of the 19th century, until the Sultan's family moved to the Chiragan Palace, and then to Dolmabahce.

Exploring the Topkapı Palace: the chambers of Valide, the wives and concubines of the sultans

After watching the Turkish series “The Magnificent Century”, you expect something more ambitious from the harem in the Sultan's palace, because Topkapi is the largest palace complex of that time. However, its size, furnishings and decoration are much more modest than presented in the series. Maybe the restoration, which is going on at an active pace, will fix this, but it will not expand the corridors and will not increase the rooms of the harem, and will not add light to them. How up to 1000 women fit there, I can’t imagine.

So, the entrance to the harem of the Topkapi Palace begins with the premises for the eunuchs. I would say that they are more like cells, everything is quite ascetic, although the courtyard is decorated very pleasantly with blue tiles, it is cool and pleasant to be there after the city scorched by the sun. Then you find yourself in the inner corridors of the harem, at the entrance to which there are two gorgeous huge mirrors decorated with gold. Then we went to the chambers of the Valide Sultan (mother of the current Sultan), which are not distinguished by special luxury (but maybe restoration?). A harem hammam is available for inspection, traditionally made in light marble. However, in general, the impression is not something that is oppressive, but not very joyful. Still, the girls, first of all, were slaves and lived like slaves, although they did not starve and did not wear cast-offs.

I didn’t notice the rooms similar to the chambers of the sultanas (including Alexandra Anastasia Lisowska) and the beloved concubines that we all saw in the series “Roksolana”, but maybe they are closed for restoration (many passages and doors are locked), or maybe they were just artistic invention.

Sultan's quarters of Topkapı Palace

More luxury and sophistication, of course, in the chambers of the heirs to the throne and the Sultan himself. Although Andrei said that he had the impression that he was moving from one bathroom to another, more colorful one))). This is all because they are mainly decorated with tiles with a predominance of blue and light blue - Sultan's colors. Before the invention of synthetic blue, its production was very expensive, so afford to use it in decoration in in large numbers Only very, very rich people could. However, I liked it - wonderful murals, bright colors so far, the finest work, and besides, it’s cool, which was facilitated by the fountains placed everywhere. Small faucets were located even in the slopes of the windows to cool the air coming from outside.

One of the most luxurious is the room for receptions. By the way, it also contained a passage to the underground corridor, through which the Sultan, in case of danger, could leave the Topkapi Palace and sail to the sea.

Promenades and Courtyards of Topkapi Palace

The courtyards of the complex differ depending on who had the right to walk there. The courtyard for simple harem concubines is very modest. There is nothing special there, it is fenced with a tall wall so that no one except the Sultan could see the girls; Sultan's courts (and there are several of them) are simply wonderful. In the first one there is a rotunda so that the Sultan can admire the moon (it is written there). I also introduced myself as a sultan and admired, but not the moon, but the opening view of the entrance to the Golden Horn - very beautiful, you can stand there for hours.



And here is a short video about the interior decoration of the palace chambers.

Visitors of the Sultan - pashas, ​​foreign nobles, could get into the second courtyard of the palace, and it looks like a park, in which it turned out to be very pleasant to walk.



But there is one more place where you don’t want to leave at all. After passing through the Sultan's chambers, which were constantly being completed with various pavilions, we went out to the observation terrace. From it you can see the foot of the complex, going down to the fortress wall and the waters of the Bosphorus. There were many tourists who were taking pictures, sitting on the railings and at the bases of the columns, so my oohs were immediately lost in the emotions of other people. And there was something to be impressed with - a gorgeous view of the sea, in the future, the strait, Asian and European Istanbul. It is a pity that the photo does not convey the scale and beauty of this spectacle.



We spent the most time there. I immodestly took a comfortable place and just looked and looked at all this beauty. Andriy managed to film everything he wanted and also get to know Ukrainians (the only time we met compatriots was there), to discuss the political situation in the country with them, but everything was not enough for me. I wanted to break off some and take it with me.

Treasures of Topkapi Palace

Quite tired, we went down again to the courtyard and saw a line in one of the interior rooms. It turned out that people are standing to see some treasures and this is included in the ticket price. I persuaded Andrey to stand and look, because the word "treasures" had a bewitching effect on me. And we didn't regret it! You can search the Internet for “Topkapı Treasures” (do it right now)). Because we entered the first hall completely unprepared, and our knowledge of English did not allow us to understand normally what was in front of us. However, the phrases “sword of David”, “staff of Moses”, “cloak of Mohammed”, “finger of Mohammed” (if I am not mistaken in the part of the body, there were several of them) made us think that what we see are unique things. I didn't even know they could survive. Robes of the Prophet and his wife (very modest), household items, footprint. Then, attention! the hand of John the Baptist! I left the first hall, so to speak, a little "hit". Then there was the second hall - precious stones, gold and products from them. The highlights for me were:

1. The cut diamond of Kashikchi (Spooner) is slightly smaller than a chicken egg and is one of the largest in the world. According to legend, it was found by a vagabond in a rubbish heap in the ruins of Tekfur Palace and sold to a spoon maker for three spoons. Then he was bought by a jeweler for 10 silver coins and then he got to the Sultan.

2. A box with emeralds (for crafts of the Sultan). And the world's largest emerald in the world is stored in a treasury.

3. Various jewelry with a myriad of diamonds, emeralds, rubies.

4. Richly decorated Topkapi dagger. There is also about him interesting story. It was made as a gift for the Persian king. However, when the Sultan's ambassadors arrived at the Shah's court, he had already been overthrown, and the need for a gift had disappeared. So the dagger returned to Topkapi and now adorns the treasury.

5. Orders awarded to sultans.

6. Golden horse harness with a huge ruby ​​and more.

7. Several thrones of the sultans, studded with huge gems and covered with gold plates.

8. And so, “little things” - elegant gold sets, various precious boxes, figurines, mechanical toys.

Too bad you couldn't watch it as much as you wanted. The security guard (attention, one security guard!) strictly ensured that people did not linger near the exhibits and did not create a crush. At the same time, the exhibited is only a small part of what is in the museum's vaults! In general, I recommend everyone to visit this exhibition. I forgot that I was tired, I want to drink and eat.

After that, we wandered around the territory a little more, but it was already almost 6 pm, and the Topkapi Palace was closed for visitors. I wanted to go there again, but according to the museum map, the attraction can be visited only once. It’s a little insulting, I would have looked at the treasury with great pleasure and plunged into the atmosphere of the Topkapi Palace))).