TOPKAPI PALACE
Babüsselâm (Gate of Salutations)

Çinili Köşk (Tiled Pavilion)

This Pavilion is in the third courtyard of the palace on the Sea of Marmara Side. Built in 1463, this pavilion has went through such extensive restoration that it has lost its original appearence. It was used as a treasury hall.

Kasr-ı Adl (Justice Tower)

Adjacent to Harem, this watch tower is an important paul of the Topkapı Palace silhouette. Built during the reign of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror, the tower was rebuilt continuously. The tower as it stands today was designed and built by the architect Sarkis Balyan.

Harem

The harem is the section of the Palace where the Sultan, his mother, the princess and the ladies of the palace lived. It is located in the third courtyard. Only some parts of Harem are open to the public. Harem contains hundreds of rooms and corridors which are all embellished with traditional Ottoman ornamentation.

Pavilion of the Holy Mantle

The Pavilion of the Holy Mantle was built on the orders of Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror. This pavilion is also known as Has Oda (Hall of the Priory Chamber) and is located in the palace's third courtyard. The importance of the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle is that it contains belongings of the Prophet Mohammed, some of the Caliphs and Companions. Some of these were brought from Egypt by Yavuz Sultan Selim and others, collected through various channels, are all placed in this Pavilion of the Topkapı Palace. Amongst the collection is the Mantle (or robe) of the Prophet Mohammed, two of the Prophet's swords, a seal and the Prophet's Holy Standard. There are also four pieces of stone and two of brick with the embedded footprint of the prophet and part of one of his teeth which was broken in the Battle of Uhud. There is a letter written by the Prophet Mohammed to the ruler of Egypt inviting him to convert to Islam and hairs from the Prophet's beard. There are swords which belong to Caliphs and Companions and some pages og the Quran verified to be written by the Caliph Osman and Caliph Ali.

Bağdat Pavilion

Located in the fourth courtyard of the palace. This pavilion is sited to allow uninterrupted views of the golden Horn, Galata and the Sea of Marmara. Built in 1639 on the orders of Sultan Murat IV, it is one of the best examples of Turkish art and architecture. Standing today in its original from the exterior is decorated with tiles and internally these are very rare decorations of arabesque painted on leather.

Mecidiye Pavilion

This pavilion is located at the east end of the palace. Built by Sultan Abdulmecid it, has the distinction of being the last Sultan's pavilion constructed at the Topkapı Palace, as after this Sultan moved from this palace. Built on the 'Empire Style' this singular storied rectangular building was designed by the architect Sarkis Balyan. The external facade's ornamentetion is particularly noteworthy.

Arz Odası (The Throne Room)

In the Topkapı Palace the ThroneRoom was strictly reserved for the Sultan's use on official occasions. Foreign envoys and visitors, the Prime Minister, Ministers and Chief Justices were received in audience by the Sultan in the Throne Room. Located in the third courtyard of the palace it was originally built on the orders of Sultan Mehmed, the Conqueror. Later the Throne Room was repeatedly modified and restored by other sultans. It comprises of a reception salon with the throne and two service rooms.

The Palace Kitchens

Located in the Divan Courtyard of the palace on the sea aspect of the site. These were built by Mimar Sinan to replace the earlier kitchens. Viewed from the sea side the kitchens 172 meters in length, form a distinctive line of the palace silhouette. Comprising of 10 sections each roofed by 10 domes, the chimneys over the domes give them a distinct and beautiful line. Providing meals for thousdans of people daily, the kitchens' cooks cooked seperately for the Sultan, his mother, and the ladies of the Harem as well as for other officials of the palace.

 Y.K. VEDAT NEDİM TÖR MUSEUM

The Museum houses the manuscripts, printed cloth, prayer beads, and Karagöz shadow theater puppets, as well as a number of other items of ethnographic significance.

The Yapı Kredi Vedat Nedim Tör Museum, which will be open to the public on a full-time basis, will exhibit these collections in rotations with emphasis on special subjects.

YEDİKULE FORTRESS MUSEUM

Towards the Marmara end of the land ramparts to the Yedikule Fortress- literally Seven Towers. Constructed in the middle of the Golden Gate by Sultan Mehmed, three new towers were added to the original Byzantine towers to form a five-sided structure. Never used for military purposes, it instead acted as an Ottoman Treasury until the reign of Sultan Murad III (1547- 1595). It is most famous, though as a prison of both foreign and native captives. Sultan Osman II met his death here, as did many unfortunate foreign ambassadors.

Restored in 1959, the castle is now open as a museum and hosts festivals and concerts.

YILDIZ PALACE MUSEUM

Located in between Beşiktaş and Ortaköy , in the Yıldız Park, the Yıldız Palace is a complex which extends 500,000 square meters and consists of several pavilions (köşk), palace buildings (kasr), and other service and management buildings. The name of this complex comes from the pavilion built by Sultan Mahmud II (1808-1839) in the large gardens that make up the Yıldız Park. The yellow salon in the Yıldız pavilion is beautifully decorated with landscapes painted on the ceiling. Sultan Abdülmecid(1839-61) furnished this pavilion, and his mother Bezmialem had the Dilkusa Palace built in 1842.  

During the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz (1861-76) the Malta, Cadir and Cit Pavilions were constructed, further enlarging this complex, but this complex saw most of its growth during Sultan Abdülhamid II reign (1876-1909). Abdülhamid made the Yıldız palace his main residence, despite the other Sultans' preference of the newly constructed Dolmabahçe Palace. Abdülhamid, who reigned as one of the most controversial Ottoman Sultans, preferred the secluded solitude of the Yıldız Palace over the exposed location of the Dolmabahçe Palace. Abdulhamid, like all Ottoman Sultans, busied himself with a trade, his being cabinet-making and porcelain production on the palace grounds, and the production of porcelain continues there to this day in the Yıldız Porcelain Factory.

After the fall of the Ottoman Empire this palace complex, which had once housed almost 10,000 people, was abandoned. The Yıldız Park is now open to the public and many of the pavilions have been restored by the Turkish Touring and Automobile club under the direction of Celik Gulersoy.

Some of the buildings are used now for housing various non-profit organisations. The Arsenal is now an art gallery and shows are held in the restored theater. The Malta Pavilion, which was restored by Çelik Gülersoy, is open to the public as a tourist attraction. Abdülhamid's former cabinet-making workshop now houses both the İstanbul City Museum and an art gallery.