Topkapi Sarayi Istanbul

 

Topkapi Sarayi is certainly on the top of most people’s lists of places to visit in Istanbul, and here at Istanbul Hotel Booker we couldn’t agree more!

 

To make the most of a visit to Topkapi Sarayi you’d be better off visiting first thing in the morning or much later in the day due to the crowds, and if you book an Istanbul hotel which is nearby to the Palace this should be really easy for you.

 

Where to Stay

There are many hotels in Istanbul to choose from which are literally just steps away from Topkapi Sarayi. Choose a hotel which is on the historic Sultanahmet Peninsula – the closer to the tip of the Peninsula and the Bosphorus you are, the closer you will be to Topkapi Sarayi and many of Istanbul’s other must-see attractions too! There really are some fantastic Istanbul hotels in this part of the city to choose from.

 

When to Go

To really appreciate a visit to Topkapi Sarayi you need to allow yourself several hours at least, though preferably half a day. By arriving soon after you’ve enjoyed breakfast in your nearby hotel you can beat many of the crowds and queues, especially those wanting to go into the Harem (for which you pay an extra entrance fee). The Palace opens at 9am (though it’s closed on Tuesdays), so by staying in a hotel in Istanbul on the Sultanahmet Peninsula you should find it easy to get here for opening time.

 

About Topkapi Sarayi

Topkapi Sarayi is a huge palace built for the Ottoman Empire between the years of 1459 and 1465, and it was the home of the Empire’s sultans for nearly 400 years.

 

What to See

The Palace is based around a series of courtyards, in accordance with Islamic tradition, and each of the courts are very extravagantly decorated. The 3rd courtyard in particular features gold and gems and numerous works of art, whilst the views over the Bosphorus from the 4th court are stunning.

The Harem is the part that everybody wants to see and you do so by joining a guided tour. This is where the sultan and his many wives, slaves and children would have lived and there are a total of 400 rooms in this part of the Palace alone! The tour is a bit of a whirlwind one, but really worth it all the same!