The Topkapi Palace, known as "Topkapi Sarayi" in Turkish, is a palace complex located in Istanbul, Turkey. It is not far from the Aya Sophia It was the centre of Ottoman power, splendour and court politics.
The construction of the Topkapi Palace began in 1459, shortly after Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul). Mehmed resided in the palace from 1478 onwards. After this, it became tradition for Sultans to live primarily in the palace. Up to 4,000 people lived in the complex with 300 in the harem (the female quarter).
During the height of the Ottoman Empire in the 16th and 17th centuries, Topkapi Palace was the epicentre of political power and culture in the Ottoman Empire. The best spoils of war were brought to the palace and over time it became increasingly lavish.
There are several courtyards in the palace. The First Courtyard has always been (and continues to be a publically accessible area. Workshops used to dot around the area. In one corner still stands a Byzantine Church, the Hagia Eirene.
The Second Courtyard was a private area. The courtyard houses the Domed Chamber, which had the Grand Vizier (a kind of prime minister) host meetings concerning matters of state. The Sultan (who was not to take part in the meetings) is said to have possibly listened through a grill and if he disliked something, he could summon everyone in the meeting to set them right.
The Courtyard also has a variety of kitchens (which made use of Chinese porcelain said to change colour if touched by poison) and, also, confectionaries. The latter is said to have produced a different kind of baklava for each new Sultan who came to the throne.
The third Courtyard was only open to the Sultan, his family, servants and official visitors. Visitors, when meeting the Sultan in the audience chamber, could not look at the Sultan. They head to lower their heads and speak directly to the sultan's translator instead.
The Fourth Courtyard has several garden areas. This included the Baghdad Pavilion, Yerevan Pavilion and more. In the gardens, many flowers were grown, including tulips. Sultan Ahmed III is famous for his passion for tulips.
The last courtyard is the Harem. While infamous for being a place of sexual debauchery, it was far from that. The Sultan's mother (the Sultana) took residence there and pretty much every other notable woman of power. The only males allowed in the Harem were eunuchs.
In the 18th century, as the Ottoman Empire began to struggle, the administrative functions of the empire began to decentralise. The palace began to fall into disrepair. In the 19th century, Sultan Mahmud II started converting the Topkapi Palace into a museum. The palace was officially opened to the public as the "Topkapi Imperial Museum" in 1924.
What is so fascinating about the palace is it is made up of several styles. We have the 15th-century style of Mehmed II's time. In the 16th century renovations by Italian artists meant there was a significant amount of Western influence. This happened again in the 19th century with the importation of Western architecture. The result is that the palace can be rather disorientating.
With all this in mind, do you think Tokapi is all that it is cracked up to be?
A very special talent.