Topkapi Palace is a former residence of the sultans and an entire city, occupying an area of 72 hectares. Every corner here is imbued with luxury and beauty, and Muslim poets called it "The Palace of Endless Happiness Sent to Them by the Almighty." In ancient times, the sultans were considered the guardians of Islam.
The palace complex houses the chambers of the Ottoman emperors, a treasury, a harem, mosques, a kitchen, a military school and other buildings. About four thousand high-ranking people once lived here, and the palace was guarded by tens of thousands of soldiers. Today, the complex is an architectural monument and a museum, as it contains treasures and valuables that belonged to several generations of Turkish rulers who conquered three continents.
Almost 50 years ago, Topkapi Palace and its surrounding buildings were added to the UNESCO list. Any traveler visiting Istanbul plans to visit this historical place. At the entrance, there are huge queues of people wanting to plunge into the times of the Turkish sultans. The popularity is also given by the film “The Magnificent Century” about Roxolana, shot here in 2011.
The first settlements on the territory of Topkapi lived 8 years ago. This is evidenced by arrowheads and ceramics. A unique chronicle written on stone was also found here, which is a reminder for future generations. Later, Greek colonizers arrived in the city and called it Byzantium, then Constantinople. After the conquest by Mehmed II, a real palace was built here, surpassing all previous ones. It was surrounded by an impregnable fortress. Near the main gate of the defensive structure, there were cannons, so Topkapi is literally translated as "Gate with cannons".
The palace complex was built over four centuries. Each of the subsequent rulers added something of their own to it - unusual, beautiful, colorful and bright. Over time, it expanded to enormous sizes.
Since its construction, the throne has been changed by 25 sultans. Even after the Turkish ruler Mahmud moved his main residence to the coast of the Bosphorus in the middle of the XNUMXth century, the palace continued to be bustling with life: harems worked, cooks prepared food, and musicians entertained people.
The entire area is divided into several main zones with galleries, museums, stables and baths. Underground there are secret passages that served the Byzantine rulers.
The first gate at the entrance leads to the Janissary Court. It is decorated with gilding and quotes from the Koran. You can also see tugras - calligraphic symbols used as signatures on documents and for minting coins. Near the courtyard stands the Church of St. Irene, which was built on the ruins of the ancient Temple of Aphrodite. For a long time, it worked as a mosque. After a recent restoration, the shrine functions as a concert hall.
The main gate of the fortress is the Gate of Salutation, built of beige sand blocks - the hallmark of the entire Topkapi Palace. Only sultans accompanied by guards had the right to pass by them on horseback, while the rest stood on the ground and walked forward quietly.
In the high octagonal towers, prisoners and traitors were kept. Here they atoned for their crimes before the Sultan. Also, the heads and body parts of the guilty were cut off and hung over the gates to intimidate the population.
The main government building is considered to be the Divankhane – the highest government officials and administrators met here.
The palace complex contains many interesting buildings, which simply cannot be described in one article.
