Palaces in Istanbul

Topkapi Palace

Open Time: 09:00
Closing Time: 16:00
Closed Day: Tuesday
Ticket Fee: 20TL

Area: Sultanahmet
City: Istanbul
Country: Turkey
Phone: (county code:+90 city code: 212 ) 512 04 80

Harem Part of Topkapi palace ( Between 09:30 to 17:30 ) is available to be visited with seperated tickets.

Many thing written sources state that the construction of Topkapi Palace started around 1459. It constantly grew and changed just like a living organism. Topkapi Palace is not a building built and complate according to a specific plan. Even during the rulership of Sultan Abdülmecid, who ordered the construction of Dolmabahçe Palace, and complately left Topkapi Palace, the Mecidiyeköy Manor House was built.

Other than the manor houses built for the accommodation of sultans, many other structures such as rooms for place guards, a very large kitchen for palace residents, bedrooms for palace employees, Kubbealtı, where the council meetings were conducted, the Room of Hırka-iSaadet, where belongings of the prophet and caliphs were kept, Gülhane Hospital, Sultan III. Ahmed Library, the Endurun School, the Treasury a stable for the hourses of the sultan, and the church of Hagia Irene which was also used as an arsenal were also loacted in the palace grounds. Topkapi Palace wes left in the middle of the 19th century and lost its function as the center of the state. The palace was turned into a museum in 1924. Weapons belonging to the palace collection are exhibited in the Treasury today. These weapons belong to the period between the 7th and 20th sencuries. Horse harneses f the palace and sultan's carriages are exhibited in the main stable (Hasahır) of the palace. The ceramics, porcelains, glassware, and metal kitchenware used in the palace ca be seen in the kitchens of the palace. There are belongings of the prophet and some caliphs which are also known as the Sacred Custodies in the Hirka-i Saadet building. The Ottoman treasure is exhibited in the Fatih Manor House. The exhibited itims include the spoonmarker's Diamond, the Topkapi Dagger, and four thrones. Casual and ceremonial clothes of sultan can be seen in the Seferli Koğuşu (room of warriors and soldiers). Manor houses belonging to the harem and sultans are other sections that sould be seen.

Kaşıkcı Elması: ( The Spoonmarker's Diamond)The 86 carat Spooonmarker's among the most well-know of the first 22 diamond of the wold. It is said that the 49 briliants around the diamond were added by Mahmut II.

According to one story a poor man found the stone in the Eğrikapı junkyard in Istanbul in 1699 and exchanged it for three wooden spoons. The name of the daimond comes from this troy.  The spoonmarker sold this stone to a jeweler for 10 akças ( silver coins). Wen it was understood that it was a very pricious stone, the head jeweler was notified, and then the Grand Vizier Köprülüzade Fazıl Ahmet Paşa and finally the Sultan Mehmet IV had the diamond broght to the Imperial palace with a Hattı Hümayun ( a written command ) and gave it to the diamond master of the palace. When this stone which was found in the junkyard was processed, a unique diamond of 86 carats was created. The ead jeweler was then given the little of Kapıcıbaşı along with a bag of coins.