The people at the White House Hotel are so nice! Chris and I had another tasty breakfast with our young staff-friends in attendance at the hotel. Afterwards, we went out to visit Topkapi Palace. It is located on the high hill of Seraglio Point which is the tip of the “old town” of Istanbul. It overlooks the Golden Horn, the Sea of Marmara, and the Bosphorus Straights.
The sky was a little overcast but the temperature was warm and humid. We walked up the hill and took the back way to the palace. The entrance looks like a European medieval castle. The palace was the official residence in Istanbul of the Ottoman Sultans for 624 years, from 1465 to 1856. Construction began in 1459 by the conqueror of Byzantine Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II. Topkapi Palace is a collection of courtyards and buildings which served a variety of purposes.
The Gate of Salutation of Topkapi Palace
There were lines to buy tickets just outside the main entrance. Ticket choices are the basic fee to visit just the main area of the palace or a double ticket which includes visiting the “harem” with the basic admission. Of course we wanted to see the Harem!
Courtyard of the Apartments of the Queen Mother
The harem was the private apartments where the Sultan lived with his mother, who managed the harem, his wives, concubines, their servants, and his children.
Imperial Hall with the Throne of the Sultan
We walked through the maze of rooms and courtyards that comprise the Harem. Beautiful blue and white tiles from the Turkish city of Iznik, line the walls of the apartments. We saw the marble baths of the Sultan and the Queen Mother, and the “privy chamber” of Sultan Murat III. We visited the apartments of the crown prince, and the Courtyard of the Favorites, and the smaller Courtyard of the Consorts and Concubines. One could only imagine the hierarchy, competition, politics, and treachery that must have existed in the Sultan’s Harem.
Library of Sultan Ahmed III (center)and The Audience Chamber
It was raining a little when we left the Harem. We sat on the steps of the beautiful Audience Chamber, taking cover under the overhanging roof. The chamber is a one-room building where the sultans greeted visiting dignitaries.
Interior of Another Library Building
We walked to the far end of the Palace grounds to an attractive outdoor cafe/restaurant. This was Seraglio Point looking out to the city and over o the Asian side of Istanbul. We had cold drinks and some watermelon slices and rested a while admiring the beautiful view.
View of the Bosporus Straights and the Golden Horn
We then walked back through the Topkapi Palace grounds stopping at the Imperial Treasury which was built by Suliman I. This building houses the arms collection and beautifully crafted swords and other Ottoman weapons. Another part of the treasury is a vast collection of works of art, jewelry, gifts received by the sultans, and the spoils of wars. One famous treasure is the Topkapi Dagger which gained fame as the object of a theft in a 1965 Hollywood Movie with Melina Mercuri and Peter Ustinof. The golden hilt is ornamented with three large emeralds and the gold sheath is covered with diamonds and enamel. Another famous treasure is the 86 carat pear-shaped diamond mounted with a double row of 49 diamonds. This is the fourth largest diamond in the world.
Imperial Treasury and Museum
Unfortunately, the display rooms were dark and photography was not allowed. Another interesting museum housed relics of the prophet Muhammad. These are supposed to be the “most genuine relics” and included a mantle, beard, tooth, and footprint of Muhammad. In the same room is the staff of Moses and John the Baptist’s forearm and a fragment of his skull. There are several other Holy Relics of Islam in this museum including one of the oldest manuscript copies of the Koran. It was all quite interesting!
