Browsing tag:
Topkapi Palace
One of the main reasons I like Istanbul is its extraordinary history. Originally known as Byzantium, later Constantinople and finally Istanbul, this city was the centre of power for the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires for nearly 16 centuries. While remarkable Byzantine monuments such as Hagia Sophia and the Theodosian Walls still stand, it is the Ottoman heritage that most visibly defines the city today - ...
I first published this post on Istanbul in 2019, after spending five weeks traveling across Turkey. I returned in June 2024 for another week and, in July 2025, I began a three-week journey through Turkey once again in this incredible city.
So, I decided it was time to refresh the post and give it more prominence, a homage to a place that continues to captivate me. Of course, no single article can truly ...
So, which one was the church for Ottoman sultans in Istanbul? Clearly, Ottoman sultans didn't need a church, they built and went to pray in mosques. It's therefore remarkable that Hagia Eirene, located within the first courtyard of the Topkapi Palace, never suffered the same fate as almost all other Byzantine churches after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. In other words, these other former churches are ...
I went to Istanbul after nearly 5 years. It was the most obvious destination that I could choose after a hiatus in my travel. I spent 5 weeks in Turkey in 2019, Istanbul was my first stop at that time. Afterwards, I went to Bursa, Izmir, Kusadasi, Aydin, Antalya, Konya and Ankara. I'm planning to see the eastern part of Turkey in the near future but, before that, I wanted to continue exploring the ...
Topkapi Palace, the imperial court and centre of Ottoman power for 375 years, is possibly the most famous of all Ottoman heritage in Istanbul. Approximately 30 sultans ruled the empire from there. The palace is a huge complex, meticulously designed to protect and impress. Sultans lived there in an utmost Ottoman imperial opulence, together with their families and concubines.
<br ...
<br ...
Without any doubt, Topkapi Palace is probably the most famous of all Ottoman heritage in Istanbul. Fatih Sultan Mehmed commissioned its construction shortly after the conquest of Constantinople in 1453. It was an imperial court and residence of Ottoman sultans and their families for 375 years. The harem within the palace is probably its most fascinating part. A mysterious place where many people lived ...
When we travel, every now and then we see something that makes a significant impact on us. That can be a place of an extraordinary natural beauty or a historical site of immense importance, perhaps a world heritage site. It can also be a museum rich in masterpieces and works of art produced by people that lived and worked centuries ago, but whose legacy remains as a testament to their extraordinary talent ...
