TOPKAPI PALACE (TOPKAPI SARAYI MÜZESI)
2025
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Come and get an idea of what life at the Ottoman court could be like in the city's most emblematic museum.
Try to arrive as early as possible to avoid queuing during the peak season (May to September), and try to avoid Sundays. Access is through the second gate(Orta Kapı), the one with two towers. The jewelry, imperial treasure and sultan's robes rooms are closed for renovation. A 3-hour visit is ideal, but you can also spend the whole day! You can visit the palace with an audioguide, which offers explanations in several languages and can easily be listened to by two people. This imperial residence of the sultan was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. As far as the visit is concerned, the museum is made up of successive gardens and numerous rooms that have been fitted out for thematic exhibitions. Of course, you'll feel right at home in the park (especially in the4th courtyard, which overlooks the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara), but some of the rooms quickly become cramped when crowded. Inside the palace, you'll discover the armory, the clockworks, the audience hall, the sultans' paintings, the relics, the courtyards, the pavilions (Circumcision kiosk, Yerevan kiosk, Baghdad kiosk, Terrace kiosk), the gardens and a small mosque. As the palace is regularly maintained, some rooms close (completely or temporarily) while others reopen according to the program. They may also be subject to variable opening hours. A huge sign to the left of the ticket office (in Turkish and English) indicates which areas are open and which are closed. As far as the harem is concerned, we think it would be a shame to come all the way to Topkapı without visiting it. The ticket office is on the left after the entrance. Please note that the Müzekart pass does not include the harem! This area can be very crowded, with the maximum number of people allowed ranging from 10 to 70. Cameras are allowed, but professional equipment (tripods) are not. The harem is very large, but for various reasons, only a very small part of it can be visited. Inside the palace is the Konyalı café-restaurant, in the fourth courtyard, where you can enjoy a coffee while taking in the magnificent view of the Bosphorus. Perfect for a refreshing break. The museum also offers evening tours (5,000 TL admission) on Saturdays until 11pm. Visits are made in groups, accompanied by a guide, and last 1 hour.
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Further information
Opening time and information on TOPKAPI PALACE (TOPKAPI SARAYI MÜZESI)
Open from 9am to 5.30pm. Closed on Tuesdays. Palace + harem + Church of Saint Irene at 2,400 TL.
Members' reviews on TOPKAPI PALACE (TOPKAPI SARAYI MÜZESI)
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
Le palais de Topkapi est situé dans l'un des plus anciens quartiers historiques d'Istanbul. Situé sur la péninsule historique d'Istanbul, entre la mer de Marmara, le Bosphore et la Corne d'Or, le palais est l'un des bâtiments emblématiques d'Istanbul. Construit sur une surface de 700 000 mètres carrés sur l'acropole romaine orientale de Sarayburnu, le palais de Topkapı a été le centre administratif, éducatif et artistique de l'empire et la résidence des sultans pendant près de quatre cents ans, jusqu'au 31e sultan ottoman, le sultan Abdülmecid. 19. le palais de Topkapı, qui a été abandonné après que la dynastie a déménagé au palais de Dolmabahçe au milieu du siècle, a conservé son importance et sa valeur historiques.
Le palais de Topkapı, transformé en musée le 3 avril 1924 après la création de la République de Turquie, est le premier musée de la République. D'une superficie d'environ 350 000 mètres carrés, sans compter le parc Gülhane, le palais de Topkapı est l'un des plus grands musées-palais du monde avec ses bâtiments, son architecture, ses collections et ses quelque 300 000 documents d'archives.
On constate que le plan du bâtiment, dont les lignes principales sont formées par les grandes cours, les portiques et les bâtiments de service qui les entourent, a été influencé par le palais d'Edirne. Les bâtiments de service sont pour la plupart des bâtiments à un étage et à haut dôme construits en pierre. Les bâtiments utilisés comme résidences sont pour la plupart en pierre et en bois et leurs dômes sont recouverts de plomb. Les intérieurs et les jardins du palais ont été enrichis de détails tels que des fontaines, des bassins, des fontaines et des fontaines, et de nombreuses citernes ont été construites.