Topkapi is a complex of small buildings full of color, and indelible beauty! A palace that housed for almost 400 years, Ottoman Sultans, their families and about 4000 people who worked and lived there. A place full of unbelievable stories, countless intrigues and schemings! Mehmet the Conqueror built the first stage of the palace shortly after the Conquest in 1453. Consists of four main courtyards and the Harem which in Arabic language means…“a holy place that everyone is not allowed to enter”.
It was converted into a museum in 1924 and declared as a World Heritage by UNESCO in 1985 (Harem Section is not included in the program because it requires extra time and fees. Inform your guide if you want to spend more time there on your own)
One of the largest and oldest covered markets in the world, with 61 covered streets and over 4.000 small shops! It is well known for the beautiful Turkish carpets, the glazed tiles and pottery, the copper and brassware, the apparels made of leather, for the hand-painted ceramics, the embroideries, the fresh spices and herbs, the glittering jewellery and all sorts of other things. The complex houses also two mosques, four fountains, two hamams and several lovely cafes and restaurants
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