Topkapi Palace
- 14 Nov 2009 11:16
Home of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years, Topkapi Sarayi ("Palace of the Cannon Gate") was the seraglio, the heart of the vast Ottoman Empire, ruled by the monarch who lived in Topkapi's hundreds of rooms with hundreds of concubines, children, and white and black servants.Because Topkapi is No. 1 on everyone's list of Istanbul sights, get there when it opens (usually 9 am; closed Tuesday; TL20 admission fee for adults) and go straight to the Harem (additional TL15 admission fee).
Once accessible only by guided tour, you can now wander through the Harem on your own, as you choose; but only a certain number of visitors are allowed at one time, so go there first to avoid