Topkapi Palace

The political and symbolic center since the conquest of Istanbul, Topkapi Palace is a vast collection of buildings connected by a series of courtyards in the fashion of all the great Islamic palaces. Topkapi Palace housed the sultan and the royal family for centuries as well as the empire’s highest political institutions. A meticulously arranged museum today,

Topkapi Palace contains different sections such as a series of four different courtyards, Istanbul’s oldest surviving church – Aya Irene, the Divan – the Imperial Court where the affairs of the state were dealt with, the Treasury and the Harem.
A complete tour of the palace might very well take most of a day, so visitors are recommended to do some preparation in advance, at least by reserving some reading time for this fascinating complex.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Information
St.Sophia – Blue Mosque – Topkapi Palace – Hippodrome – Bosphorus – Grand Bazaar – Galata Tower – Suleymaniye Mosque – Dolmabahce Palace – Basilica Cistern – Chora Church – Rumeli Fortress – Beylerbeyi Palace – Maidens Tower – Golden Horn – Archeological Museum – Beyoglu – Mosaic Museum – Princess Island – Bursa – Shopping