Topkapı Palace guide: the courtyards, Harem, Sacred Relics and your visit

A short history of Topkapı Palace

After conquering Istanbul, Mehmed the Conqueror first built the Old Palace in today’s Beyazıt; then he had the new palace built on the hill of Seraglio Point, where the Byzantine acropolis had stood. Completed in 1478, the palace grew like a city with the additions of later sultans. When Sultan Abdülmecid moved to Dolmabahçe Palace in 1856, Topkapı lost its importance, but the Treasury and the Sacred Relics stayed here. The palace opened to visitors as a museum on 3 April 1924 and has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1985.

Topkapı Palace courtyard by courtyard: what to see

• First courtyard (Parade Ground): The garden entered through the Imperial Gate (Bab-ı Hümayun) is open to everyone. Hagia Irene is here; no ticket is needed.
• Second courtyard (Divan Square): Tickets are checked after the Gate of Salutation (Middle Gate). The Imperial Council chamber (Kubbealtı) where affairs of state were discussed, the Tower of Justice and the palace kitchens, which display one of the richest collections of Chinese porcelain in the world, are in this courtyard.
• Third courtyard (Enderun): You pass through the Gate of Felicity. The Audience Chamber where the sultan received envoys, the Treasury with the Spoonmaker’s Diamond and the Topkapı Dagger, the sultans’ kaftans and the clock collection are here.
• Fourth courtyard: The Baghdad and Yerevan kiosks, the Circumcision Room and the Iftar Pavilion overlooking the Golden Horn. The palace’s finest view is here.

The Chamber of the Sacred Relics

This section, also known as the Chamber of the Holy Mantle, displays the mantle, banner, seal, beard hairs and swords believed to have belonged to the Prophet Muhammad, as well as relics attributed to the four caliphs and other prophets. In the room holding the relics, brought to Istanbul after Selim I’s Egyptian campaign of 1517, the Quran is recited throughout the day. Visitors keep quiet and photography is forbidden. The Holy Mantle viewing held during Ramadan, however, takes place at the Hırka-i Şerif Mosque in Fatih.

The Harem: the palace’s family quarters

The Harem is the private family section, closed to outsiders, where the sultan’s mother (the Valide Sultan), his wives, his children and those who served them lived. The visitor route includes the Valide Sultan’s Apartments, the Imperial Hall, the Privy Chamber of Murad III and the Apartments of the Crown Prince (the Twin Kiosks), famous for their tiles. You enter the Harem through the Carriage Gate in the second courtyard, and a separate or combined ticket is usually required. We explain what the word “harem” actually meant in Ottoman times in our article What is the harem?

Topkapı Palace with children

Because the palace is so big, it is more enjoyable with children to choose a few sections rather than trying to see it all: the Spoonmaker’s Diamond in the Treasury, the clock collection and the view from the fourth courtyard are children’s favourites. You can take breaks on the lawns of the second and fourth courtyards; the café and restaurant in the fourth courtyard have toilets. Walking down to Gülhane Park just below after your visit is a good way to finish.

Visiting tips

• If you buy your ticket in advance on the official website you skip the ticket office queue; there may still be a queue for the security check.
• Go to the Harem first, then the Treasury: in the afternoon the queues for both get longer.
• The palace is closed on Tuesdays; plan Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Basilica Cistern for Tuesday.
• Wear comfortable shoes; a full tour means 3–4 kilometres of walking.
• When you leave the palace, the Istanbul Archaeology Museums a few steps away can be visited with the same Müzekart.