Topkapı was originally called the "New Palace" to distinguish it from the Old Palace in Beyazıt Square. After the end of the Ottoman Empire in 1923, a government decree dated April 3, 1924 transformed Topkapı into a museum.  

The palace complex:[1]

• Consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. 

  • Female members of the Sultan's family lived in the harem, and leading state officials held meetings in the Imperial Council building.

• Has hundreds of rooms and chambers, but only the most important are accessible to the public as of 2020, including

• Ottoman Imperial Harem 

• Hazine (i.e., the treasury) where the Spoonmaker's Diamond and the Topkapi Dagger are on display.

• Is located on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn

• Where the Bosphorus Strait meets the Marmara Sea. 

• The terrain is hilly and the palace itself is located at one of the highest points close to the sea.

Photo Gallery

The below photos were taken on 03/23/2023.