• WhorledTravelersIstanbul/Barcelona - May 2022Traveler
    The Ahmet III fountain, 18th century
    The Ahmet III fountain, 18th centuryThe inside courtyard, Topkapi PalaceThe kitchen complex viewed from the Inner CourtyardThe back of the kitchen complexCoffee grindersDomes and ventilation in the kitchensBeautiful tile work, even in the kitchensInner courtyardThe Divan. The Ottoman Empire was ruled from this room until the 1700’s.Dome over the Gate of FelicityOutside the libraryThe libraryThe libraryThrone of Sultan Ahmed IFourth Courtyard. It was the Ottomans who brought tulips to Holland.The view across the Golden Horn from Topkapi Palace

    Istanbul Tour 1 - Topkapi Palace

    May 4, 2022 in Turkey ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    This morning we began a two-day guided tour of Istanbul with Hanifi, our guide, and two couples from the cruise we met on the internet.

    Topkapi Palace was center of power for the Ottoman sultans for 400 years, after Sultan Mehmet II took Constantinople in 1453. It was built in only 18 years, 1460-1478. It was first a fortress as it sits overlooking the Sea of Marmara, the Bosporus and the Golden Horn . It became also the center of administration, educations and arts for the Ottoman Empire. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk turned it into a museum in 1924.Read more