Topkapi Palace
It is the Palace in Istanbul Sarayburnu, used as the administrative center of the state in the 600-year history of the 400-year-old Ottoman Empire and located in the palace of the Ottoman Sultans. Over a period of time, nearly 4,000 people have been living. Topkapi Palace was built by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1478 and became the official residence of the Ottoman sultans and administrative center for 380 years until Abdulmecit built Dolmabahçe Palace. Located in an area of 700.000 m.² in the year of foundation, the present area of the palace is 80.000 m².
The Topkapi Palace was evacuated together with the people of the palace starting to live in Dolmabahçe Palace, Yıldız Palace and other palaces. After being abandoned by the sultan, the Topkapi Palace, where many officials lived, never lost its importance. The palace was repaired from time to time. During the month of Ramadan, a special importance was given to the annual maintenance of the Office of the Holy Relations which was visited by the sultan and his family.
Fatih Sultan Mehmed initiated the construction of Topkapi Palace in 1465.For the first time, the Topkapi Palace ran into the era of Abdülmecit, literally opening up like a museum. At that time the goods of the Topkapı Palace Treasure were shown to the English ambassador. Afterwards, the old monuments in the Topkapı Palace Treasure become a tradition to show foreigners and in the time of Abdülaziz, glass displays are made in amphora style. Old works in the Treasure begin to be displayed with foreigners in these windows. II. Abdulhamid was supposed to open the Topkapi Palace Treasure-i Humayun’s visit to the people on Sunday and Tuesdays, although this was not possible.
Topkapi Palace, which was connected to the Istanbul Âsâr-ı Atika Museum Directorate to be opened to the public on April 3, 1924 by the order of Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, first started to serve as Treasury Kethüdalığı and then Treasury Directorate. Today, it continues to serve with the name of Topkapı Palace Museum Directorate.After some minor repairs were made in 1924 and the necessary administrative measures were taken to visit the museum, Topkapı Palace was opened as a museum on 9 October 1924.
The sections opened at that time are the Kubbealti, the Supply Chamber, the Mecidiye Mansion, the Hekimbasi Chamber, the Mustafa Pasha Mansion and the Baghdad Mansion.Today, the palace attracting large tourist masses is at the top of the historical monuments in Istanbul Historical Peninsula, which entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985. Today it serves as a museum.