Topkapi Palace
The Palace entered by a door called Bab-i Humayun was built in the time of the Mehmet II. Around the first courtyard there were numerous service buildings, including a hospital, bakery, mint, armoury and accommodation for palace servants. This courtyard was open to the public like today.
The central gate known Babusselam is the main entrance to the museum. On rigth side of the second courtyard can be seen the kitchen buildings. They houses some of the original kitchen equipment and enormous collection of porcelain. On the left side of that courtyard we can see Imperial Council Hall and The Weapons Sections.
From felicity door entered to the third courtyard. The first building behind it is the Audience Chamber, behind Audience Chamber, the elegant library built by Ahmed III can be seen. On the rigth side of courtyard there are four rooms houses Treasury where jewelled thrones, baskets of emeralds, inlaid daggers and other valuable objects are exhibited. On the left side of third courtyard a mosque and Holy reliques section can be seen. Rest of buildings at that courtyard belong to the Imperial Enderun, an institution where the most intelligent kids were trained for administrative posts in various state departments.
In the fourth courtyard there are series of exquisite pavilions built by various sultans. The Bagdat and Revan Pavilions built for Murat IV, The Sofa Pavilion laid out during the reign of Ahmet III, The pavilion of Sultan Abdulmecit on the right by Abdulmecit I.
The Harem is a vast labyrinth of rooms and corridors, and only some part of it are open to the public. The visitor’s entrance is via the Divan Hall in the second courtyard. An extra charge is made for visiting the Harem at Topkapi Palace.
Topkapi Palace on Google Maps
