History Of Topkapi Palace

Gokce Nacar

Feb 28 2848 read

Topkapı Saray Palace, It is the largest palace of the Old City of Istanbul, and it was a major center of the Ottoman Empire and a center for the establishment of the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire over four centuries from 1465 AD to 1856 AD until Dolmabahce Palace became the main center.

Where Is Topkapi Palace & What Is The History Of Topkapi Palace?

The palace consisted of four main courtyards and several buildings, including residences, kitchens, mosques, a hospital, and others. At the peak of the state, nearly 4,000 people lived in it. The construction of Topkapi Palace began in 1459 AD by order of the Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, and it was completed in 1478 AD, and the area of the Topkapi Palace is about 400,000 square meters, and the Topkapi Palace is considered one of the largest and oldest palaces in the world.

It was called at the beginning "Yeni Saray", meaning "the new palace", in order to distinguish it from the previous residence, and the palace took its new name "Topkapi" in the nineteenth century, and it was expanded throughout the ages, and it was renewed after the earthquake of 1509 and the fire 1665 AD.

As is the case in the Ottoman palaces, a large place is devoted to the palace kitchen, due to the Ottoman’s interest in the art of cooking, also the Topkapi Palace had a large kitchen with about 10,000 and more than porcelain and cooking utensils, including the “Longquan pot”, which was necessary for the palaces of the sultans and princes, as it was rumored about it.

Topkapi Palace is distinguished by the presence of its fountain in it that attracts everyone's attention from the first moment. The fountain is called (Sultan Ahmed III Fountain) as it was built during his reign, the fountain is located outside the “Palace Gate”, the fountain was built in 1728 AD, and this year during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III It was called the "Tulip Era".

Topkapi Palace is located on a large area of about 700 thousand square meters, extending from Hagia Sophia to the Gulhane district in Istanbul, and from and to the Sirkeci neighborhood, the palace is surrounded by high and wide walls called "Sultana Wall", which extends from the Sabbat “Gilar Palace” to "another door". There are 28 towers on these walls, and the section overlooking the bay with some compartments was demolished due to the passage of a railway line from the aforementioned site.

Gates Of Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace gates: According to historical legends, the palace used to have thirteen gates, but only a few of them remain today, and they are the “bab ı hümayun, the Gate of Peace.”

bab ı hümayun, which is the main door of “Topkapi Palace'', is located opposite Sultanahmet near the edge of Hagia Sophia overlooking the sea, it was first established during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror and has undergone several restorations to this day. bab ı hümayun has witnessed many historical incidents of the Ottoman Empire and is still preserved. On its old splendor, as it opened with the dawn call to prayer and closed at the evening call to prayer, and above the door there is the seal of Sultan Mehmed II and written on it the date of creating the door, which is 1478 AD, as well as another writing in which the date of returning the door was written “1867” by Sultan Abdul Aziz.

There is the first square of the palace at the inner end of the door, which was exposed in the nineteenth century to a great fire that resulted in great losses in the palace, the square contains the prosecution booth that used to receive people's complaints, and to the right of it are the offices of the treasury employees, and on the other hand, the palace bakery is located behind the wall To the right of the square, on the left of the square, there is the Church of Ayah Erin, and the Empire Square, which has become a museum.

The Gate of Peace, which is the true door of the palace, and it was written at this door that there is only one God and Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and there is also an inscription on the iron shutters of the door saying that this leaf was poured during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, and it was rebuilt during the reign of Sultan Murad III, and after entering from This door confronts the huge dolphin trees that have passed through the ages, and here the door is divided into five roads: one leading to the palace kitchen, another to the Gate of Happiness, another to the Divan, another to the Haramlek, and another to the palace stables.

In the past, this “diwan” was the first place to discuss thorny bureaucratic issues. It consisted of four halls, the first dedicated to holding meetings and called the “hall under the dome,” the second dedicated to preserving meeting recordings, and the third in which the so-called “box book” was kept, which is archive preservation. The fourth is called “The Haramlek” and this hall contains 300 rooms for the Sultan’s wife, mother, and concubines only.

If you want to visit Istanbul, we highly recommend you visit this wonderful palace because it contains wonderful artistic masterpieces that we may not be able to cover in one article, and we also recommend that you divide your visit to this palace into two days, so that you can enjoy and contemplate the beauty and grandeur of this palace. We also recommend that you visit some of the most important monuments in this region, such as the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar.