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TopkapI Palace

History museums ·Istanbul ·Closed
4.6150K
#1History museums in Turkey#1History museums in IstanbulTravelers' Choice 2026
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About

Topkapı Palace in Istanbul: the Ottoman sultans' palace on the Sarayburnu headland, beside Gülhane Park, now a museum.

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TopkapI Palace

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Why go

  • The Ottoman Imperial Harem, the sultans' private quarters, home to up to 2,000 women led by the sultan's mother.
  • The gold-plated Bayram throne in the Second Courtyard, where the sultan gave audiences that a French ambassador described.
  • The Imperial Council building, where the Grand Vizier and ministers met; the sultan or Valide sultan watched debates unseen through a golden-grilled window.
  • The Gate of Felicity into the Third Courtyard, redecorated in rococo style in 1774; the sultan used it only for special ceremonies.
  • The view from the headland over the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara.

Opening hours

Today09:00 – 18:00Show all
Monday09:00 – 18:00
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday09:00 – 18:00
Thursday09:00 – 18:00
Friday09:00 – 18:00
Saturday09:00 – 18:00
Sunday09:00 – 18:00

Don't miss

  • Spoonmaker's Diamond and Topkapı DaggerIn the imperial treasury, the Spoonmaker's Diamond and the Topkapı Dagger are on display.Conqueror's Pavilion, which houses the Imperial Treasury On the map
  • Chinese porcelainThe porcelain collection holds 10,700 pieces, from the late Song to the Qing dynasty, and is counted among the finest in the world.The former palace kitchen buildings On the map
  • Arms collectionOne of the richest collections of Islamic arms in the world, with about 400 weapons on display, most of them inscribed.The former treasury building, where the arms are shown On the map
  • Imperial Wardrobe CollectionOttoman clothing and robes, part of the Imperial Wardrobe Collection.The Dormitory of the Expeditionary Force On the map
  • Target stoneA target stone over two metres tall marks a record rifle shot by Selim III in 1790.Outside the treasury building On the map

Know before you go

  • Open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, 09:00–18:00; closed on Tuesdays.
  • Tickets are sold online through the palace's own website.
  • A combined ticket covers the palace, Hagia Irene (Aya İrini) and the Harem.
  • The paid part of the palace begins at the Gate of Salutation (Bâb-üs Selâm).
  • Only the most important of the hundreds of rooms are open to visitors.

What's inside

  • Imperial Gate (Bâb-ı Hümâyûn): a two-storey kiosk gate and the main entrance, dating from 1478.
  • First Courtyard: the largest courtyard, once an outer precinct or park, with the former Imperial Mint (1727) and fountains.
  • Hagia Irene (Aya İrini): the city's oldest church, just behind the Imperial Gate; a storehouse and imperial armoury under the Ottomans, now a museum.
  • Second Courtyard (Divan Meydanı): the seat of state government, with Roman and Byzantine artifacts, including sarcophagi.
  • A Byzantine cistern lies beneath the Second Courtyard.
  • Palace kitchens: the largest kitchens in the Ottoman Empire, now holding a silver gifts collection and a large porcelain collection.
  • Third Courtyard (Enderûn Avlusu): the inner court, entered through the Gate of Felicity.
  • The Enderûn school, which trained future state officials, stood beside the gate to this court.
  • Audience Chamber: stands right behind the Gate of Felicity.
  • Sofa Köşkü: a wooden kiosk, thought to date from the 18th century; poet Hâkânî Mehmed Bey's couplets cover its inner and upper walls.
  • Taş Kule: the room beside the Sofa Köşkü, once the palace pharmacy.
  • Bağdat Köşkü (Baghdad Kiosk): in the fourth courtyard, built in 1638 after Murad IV took Baghdad.
  • Mecidiye Köşkü (1840, by Sarkis Balyan) and Esvab Odası: the last palace buildings, in the lower part of the fourth court.

Tips for your visit

  • The address is Cankurtaran Mah. Babı Hümayun Cad. No:1, Istanbul.
  • The phone number is +90 212 512 04 80.
  • Near the old gate area, a tea garden run by DÖSİM serves food and drink to visitors.
  • Only the sultan could ride through the gate; other visitors had to dismount.
  • The Imperial Gate, Bâb-ı Hümâyûn, stands behind Ayasofya.
  • A 300-metre tree-lined road in the First Courtyard, where sultans passed in procession, leads from the main gate to the Bâb-üs Selâm.
  • A small fountain near the ticket booths is called Cellat Çeşmesi.

Interesting facts7

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  1. Legend says executioners washed at the Fountain of the Executioner after beheadings, though the claim is disputed.

    Topkapı Palace - Wikipedia
  2. 1937

    A 5th-century Byzantine religious building, now called the Palace Basilica, came to light in excavations in 1937.

    Topkapı Palace - Wikipedia
  3. 2021

    In 2021 archaeologists found an underground gallery of three sections from the Roman period.

    Topkapı Palace - Wikipedia
  4. 1964

    The 1964 film Topkapi was set in the palace.

    Topkapı-Palast - Wikipedia

  5. The palace holds one of the oldest copies of the Koran and the Piri Reis map among its relics.

    Topkapı-Palast - Wikipedia

  6. UNESCO called the palace an unmatched group of buildings built over four centuries.

    Palais de Topkapı - Wikipedia

  7. Only the sultan rode through the Gate of Salutation; everyone else got off their horse.

    Topkapı-Palast - Wikipedia

Shorts

Sources: Topkapı Palace - Wikipedia · Topkapı Sarayı | Milli Saraylar · Topkapı-Palast - Wikipedia · Palais de Topkapı - Wikipedia · Topkapı Sarayı - Wikipedia · TopkapI Palace: tickets (its own site) · checked 17 Oct 2026

Where
Cankurtaran Mah. Babı Hümayun Cad. No:1, Istanbul

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Questions and answers

What are the opening hours of Topkapı Palace?

Topkapı Palace is open Monday and Wednesday to Sunday, from 09:00 to 18:00. It is closed on Tuesdays.

Where do I buy tickets for Topkapı Palace?

Online, through the palace's own website.

How many rooms of Topkapı Palace can visitors see?

Only its most important rooms are normally open, out of hundreds; the Ottoman Imperial Harem is one of them.

What is there to see at Topkapı Palace?

The Harem and the imperial treasury, with the Spoonmaker's Diamond, are among the rooms open; the porcelain and arms collections are on display.

How many people visited Topkapı Palace in 2024?

4,683,250 people.

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