A major restoration project has been completed at Topkapi Palace, opening additional rooms of the historic harem to tourists for the first time in many years. The work lasted for approximately six years, and visitors can now see previously closed sections of the palace complex, where daily life at the Ottoman court took place.
The updated exhibition introduces visitors not only to the luxury of the sultanate but also to the interior of the harem. The tour includes living quarters, servants' quarters, kitchens, baths, and utility areas. Historians note that the harem was an entire system with strict rules, its own schedule, and a clear hierarchy.
During the restoration, specialists recovered authentic interior elements: wall paintings, Ottoman ceramics, decorative panels, and architectural details that had long remained hidden. Some spaces are being opened to the public for the first time in the museum's modern history.
A separate section of the exhibition is dedicated to the educational role of the harem. According to researchers, girls were taught languages, music, literature, the arts, and the rules of court etiquette here, preparing them for life at the sultan's court.
After the route was expanded, the harem tour became approximately twenty minutes longer, but the entrance fee remained unchanged. The palace welcomes visitors daily from morning until evening, except Tuesdays. Tourism officials are already predicting increased interest in the renovated part of the complex, considered one of the most enigmatic chapters in the history of the Ottoman Empire.
