Topkapi Palace – a large palace in Istanbul, which was the main residence of the Ottoman Sultans for about 400 years. It contains “sacred relics”, various religious parts of the prophets and the sahaba, including what is considered the pot of Ebrahim (peace be upon him), the turban of Yusuf (peace be upon him) and the hair of the Prophet Muhammad (saw).
Story
About 30 sultans ruled from Topkapi Palace for nearly four centuries during the 600-year rule of the Ottoman Empire, beginning with Mehmed II. He ordered to build a palace in the late 1450s, a few years after the conquest of Constantinople (Istanbul), the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in 1453. Medmed settled in 1478, and after his death three years later, the followers of the sultans were restored and restored. they often expanded the palace, as a result of which Islamic, Ottoman, and European architectural styles and decorations were changed in the palace. The huge Topkapi Palace accommodated 1000–4000 inhabitants, including up to 300 in a harem.
Layout
The original layout of Mehmed, which consisted of four successive courtyards, surrounded by high walls, remains. Each courtyard served different purposes and was divided by a gate that gradually restricted entry, culminating in the most private third and fourth courtyards. The surviving palace buildings are usually low, one-story, which have changed functions over the centuries, so that some buildings, especially in a harem, are not always clear in their intended purpose.
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The Museum
In the mid-19th century, Abdulmecid I moved the imperial court from Topkapi Palace to the newly built Dolmabahce Palace. Some buildings of the Topkapi Palace retained their function, while others fell into disrepair. When the palace became a museum in 1924, many buildings were renovated, and parts of the complex were often closed for this purpose. The museum receives over three million visitors a year.
