Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace Complex's Main Entry

Topkapi Palace stands on the ruins of Byzantium, the ancient Greek settlement at the eastern tip of the Old Town peninsula.  After capturing Constantinople, Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror chose this prime location, overlooking the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus, and the Golden Horn, as the administrative center of his empire.  in the 1470s he built a large complex with offices, military barracks, a council chamber, and a reception hall.  A century later, Topkapi became the sultan's residence when Suleyman the Magnificent turned it into a home.  Topkapi efficiently served as the sole administrative palace for Ottoman sultans for more than 400 years, until a new European-style palace was built on the Bosphorus in the mid-19th century, Dolmabahce Palace.

The Main Gate is in the Outer Wall

The word "Topkapi" means "cannon door", a reference to one of the gates on the old Byzantine wall along the Sea of Marmara.  Originally known as the sultan's "New Palace," Topkapi was gradually enlarged over the centuries.  Each reigning sultan contributed his own flourishes, according to the style of the era.  Unlike many European palaces, which were built all at once, Topkapi Palace was constructed gradually and organically over time.  The results is a funhouse of architectural styles.  Since no two buildings of the complex were built at the same time, they are on different levels.  passing through doorways or gates we have to always step up or down.  This hodgepodge of buildings was totally functional, each addition had its purpose and was suited for its time.  The visual mess of Topkapi Palace comes together to give a vibrant, multilayered feel for the lifestyle of the sultans.

Ahmet III Fountain

In Istanbul, street fountains like this one are an important example of civic architecture.  This early-18th-century structure is right outside the main gate.  It has a fountain on each facade, and each fountain is decorated with triangular niches on either side.  The walls are decorated with tiles, filed designs, and calligraphy, including the phrase, "Turn the tap with the name of Allah, the Protector, and the Merciful.  Drink the water, and say a prayer for Sultan Ahmet." They were repaving around the fountain, so we could not get too close.

Sogukcesme

Before we entered the Imperial Gate of Topkapi Palace, we detoured onto a cobble-stone lane called Sogukcesme.  This quaint street runs between the Hagia Sophia and the Topkapi Palace outer walls.  You can see the centuries old wall behind the 19th-century townhouses.  They have been recently restored and are now part of a boutique hotel.

Imperial Gate

Cindy is at the main entrance to the Topkapi Palace grounds.  She had said "Merhaba" (hello) to the soldier, and so he asked some tourist to move out of the way so Ben could take a picture of them!  Mehmet the Conqueror built the gate when he chose this site as his administrative center in the 15th-century.  Just above the entryway, notice his imperial signature, or tugra.  For centuries the Imperial Gate stayed open from the first prayer of the morning at sunrise, until the last at evening sunset.  Originally there was a wooden pavilion above the gate, from which the women of the Harem could watch the colorful processions into and out of the palace.

First Courtyard

Ben is at the edge of this wide-open space that was reserved for public officials, civil servants, and service personnel.  It was also called the "Courtyard of Janissaries," for the royal soldiers who assembled here.  Until a destructive mid-19th-century fire, the courtyard was more built-up with court buildings.  Close to the gate we just came through were offices of treasury officials.  Across from that was the bakery, supplying bread to the staff and palace residents.  All this, plus guard barracks and dormitories are gone without a trace, and now this area resembles a large park with extensive grassy lawns and views of the Bosphorus behind Ben. 

Hagia Irene 

This important early-Chistian church hides inside the first walls of Topkapi Palace.  Often mistakenly interpreted as "St. Irene," the church's name actually means "Divine Peace," an attribute of God.  The present structure dates back to the reign of Justinian in the sixth century.  The original Hagia Irene church that stood on this site is thought to have been built by Constantine.  Soon after Constantine split the Roman Empire between West and East, with the Eastern capital here, in Byzantium, Hagia Irene hosted the Second Ecumenical Council to set the course for the new church in 381AD.  Decisions made in this building shaped Eastern Orthodox traditions for centuries to come.  In the short term, the council, which discussed theological questions such as whether Jesus was human, divine, or both, sparked social struggles and riots in the early history of the capital city.  Hagia Irene served as the patriarchal church of Constantinople until Hagia Sophia was built.  Under Ottoman rule, Hagia Irene was used as an arsenal by the imperial guards, and later to store artifacts from the Istanbul Archeological Museum.  The interior of Hagia Irene was not open to the public at this time.  Be sure to look at the Topkapi Palace Album on the right to see many more photos of the ruins around her.

Gate of Salutation

This gate is also known as the Middle Gate.  The Gate of Salutation dates from the mid-16th century, when towers were used for defense as much as for decoration.  It looks like European castles from the Middle Ages and was likely modeled after those fortresses.  Guards who defended the towers lived on either side of the gate. Notice the slits for archers? Right above the doorway is the gilded tugra of Sultan Mahmut II.  Above that, in Arabic calligraphy, is the phrase, "There is no other God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet." Beyond this point, everyone except the sultan had to leave their horse outside and walk in.  

Second Courtyard

Ben is looking at a miniature of the palace grounds.  We are now in the ceremonial courtyard, host to centuries of coronations and successions.  We can just imagine the courtyard filled with hundreds of residents, royal family members, viziers, soldiers, and staff all dressed in their finest attire, standing patiently in line for their turn to kiss the skirt of the sultan's caftan to show their respect and obedience. 

Kitchen Complex

Much of Topkapi Palace burned down in the 16th century, thanks to a fire started in these kitchens due to overheated oil in a pan, plus soot-clogged chimneys.  Suleyman the Magnificent's royal architect, Sinan, rebuilt the grand-scale complex featuring the 10 separate kitchen chambers, each with an elevated dome and a tall chimney for better ventilation. They now hold the Chinese Porcelain Collection, Dessert Kitchen, and Kitchen Dormitory with the Silverware and European Porcelain exhibits.   These exhibits were closed today.  

Divan Tower

Cindy is walking towards the tall Divan Tower.  In front of the tower, with the large eave, is the Divan, the council chamber where the viziers of the imperial council met.  

Divan

Ben is outside The Divan that was the council chamber where the viziers got together to discuss state affairs.  This is where the Ottoman Empire was governed for almost 400 years.  This was built by Mehmet the Conqueror in the 15th century, then it burned down.  It was rebuilt a century later by the royal architect Sinan.  During the "Tulip Era" in the early 18th century, Sultan Ahmet III redecorated the rooms in Rococo style, which was the trend in Europe at the time.

Office of the Record-Keeper

Notice how the Divan's frilly Rococo flourishes clash with the rest of the Topkapi ensemble.  This room is the office of the Record-Keeper, who kept track of every word spoken in the Divan.

Council Chamber

The Divan, or Council Chamber, is decorated with original 16th-century tiles.  The viziers would sit on the large sofa according to their rank in the hierarchy.  This is why some people call sofas "divans".  The Grand Vizier took the seat directly across from the door (where we are standing to take this picture).  In the early years of the Divan, the sultan would actually attended these meetings.  Later, the sultan would simply relax in the next room and eavesdrop as he liked through the window with the metal grill right above the Grand Vizier's seat.  This window was known as "the Eye."

Imperial Treasury's Armory

This brick-and-stone building is the Imperial Treasury's Armory that held taxes collected from the provinces and was also where janissaries and palace staff went to collect their paychecks.  Ben is going in to find his paycheck!  He won't find it because today this building exhibits a small but interesting armory collection.  Pictures were not allowed.  We did see several cool things; a yatagan, which is a lightweight, curved sword carried by janissaries; an enormous two-handed sword dated from the Crusades; a Samurai outfit that was a gift from Japan to the Sultan; a sword that belonged to Mehmet the Conqueror's with Quran verses inscribed on the blade.  

Gate of Felicity (Bab-us Saade)

This striking gate consists of a domed roof delicately carried by four slender columns.  That tree to the right of the gate is a centuries-old sycamore.  The gate is also known as the "Gate of the White Eunuchs."  White Eunuchs were instructors, guards, and caretakers for the palace school, which occupied much of the Third Courtyard beyond this gate.  Here the empire's top officials were educated, including ranking janissary leaders.  

On either side of the gate are antique designs and decorative columns.  The tour group on the right are looking at the hole in the raised marble paving stone.  This was used to hold the royal banner, which flew here when new sultans were coronated on this very spot!

These landscape paintings are up on the inside overhang of the gate.  They were the trend during the last two centuries of the Ottoman Empire.  

Hall of Holy Relics

This collection shows off some of the most significant holy items of the Muslim faith.  These relics were brought to Istanbul in the early 16th century from Egypt, Mecca, and Medina, when the Ottomans conquered those lands.  In the past, the relics were only available to members of the Ottoman dynasty and handpicked guests, and presented to the public only on religious days.  But today they are viewable at anytime, offering an impressive glimpse into the world of Islam.  Cindy is standing by the door that is a sight in itself.  It has gilded decorations and Arabic calligraphy reading, "There is no other God but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet."  On either side of the entrance, you see the imperial signatures.  As this is a very holy site for Muslims, we saw people praying with their hands open, and no pictures were allowed inside.  

Here is a close up of the beautiful 16th-century tiles that surround the doorway.  As we went through the door, we could hear chanting.  This was because an imam was reading verses from the Quran as they do 24 hours a day, as imams have, nonstop since the 16th century!  There was also a pool in the center of the room to wash your hands, as is tradition.  There were many holy items to the Islam faith; a collection of keys and locks for the Kabaa, Muhammad's sandals, Moses' staff, Abraham's granite cooking pot, David's sword,  Joseph's turban, hair from Muhammad's beard, his sword, bow and the mantle that he wore.  

Fourth Courtyard

The most intimate and cozy of Topkapi's courtyards, the Fourth Courtyard enjoys fine views over the Golden Horn and Bosphorus, and is dotted with several decorative pavilions, most of them built in the mid 17th- century by Murat IV and his younger brother, Ibrahim the Mad!

Revan Pavilion

 Sultan Murat IV built this pavilion to commemorate his military victory against the Persians on the eastern front.  This is very typical of the style of the time:  three bays decorated with sofas and large pillows;

 decorated with mostly blue and white 17th-century Iznik tiles; window shutters; roofed with a central dome

cupboards doors inlaid with mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell.

Circumcision Room

Murat's younger brother, Ibrahim the Mad, built this pavilion, which was used over the next two centuries for the ritual circumcision of heirs to the throne.  Ben was not comfortable in here.

It's slathered inside and out with a contrasting patchwork of fine 17th-century Iznik tiles.

Pool on the Terrace

The pool is empty, but there are tales of wild fantasies enacted poolside by Ibrahim the Mad and members of his harem, or how he would throw coins into the water to watch guards dive in after them.  

Spectacular Views from the end of the Palace

This is looking towards the New District and the Galata Tower

This was looking north, up the Bosphorus Strait.  You can still see the old sea walls down below.  It was bone chilling cold and windy.

This was looking east, toward the Asian side of Istanbul.  Again, you can see the old sea walls down below.  

This was looking south, towards the Sea of Marmara.  See the open air cafe?  It was empty because it was too cold!  

Leaving the Palace

This was a walking path within the Palace grounds.  It is the upper part of a large cistern underground.

This is Ben not resisting petting one of many friendly cats on the Palace grounds

These are a few of the soldiers that stand guard around the Palace entrance.  

This is Ben trying on a Fez at a tourist shop outside the Palace.  Does he look old school Turkish?

Snack at a very Turkish restaurant.  It's a Turkish pizza, bread with cheese.

Classic Turkish lamps and pashinas for customers in the restaurant to use if they get cold

A classic kaftan 

Our walk to the ferry and home for the night

First Week in Our New Flat

Our Street Sign

This is our street sign at the end of our block.  Karakolu means "station", Sokak means "street", so we live on Muhurdar Station Street.  We live in the City of Karakoy in the neighborhood of Moda.

Outside Front

This is the front of our flat.  Ours is the top balcony.  It's called the 4th floor because the bottom floor is counted as 0.  Our flat is number 6 because there are 2 flats on floor 0.  

Looking West

This is our first day at the flat.  We actually moved in later that night at about 7:00pm.  We had brought our bags from the hotel at about 1:00pm, but the owner was still moving out and had a cleaning lady cleaning behind her.  Meanwhile, Ben and I shopped our mattress and pillows and rode the trolly around the neighborhood.  It was a rainy day and this is the view down the street looking west towards the water.   It was so gray that day it's hard to tell the sky from the water.

Looking East

As you can see, it is a rainy gray day.  This is looking east and slightly uphill from the flat entrance.  This is the direction we go for groceries, including the bakery and fish markets.  Once we go up a few blocks to the T, we turn left and we can find anything we need, including restaurants galore.  

Ben off to Work

This is Ben heading off to work from our new flat on our first morning there.  Yes, that is a cup of coffee!  We have a French press and we broke down and bought coffee at the only Starbucks in our neighborhood....next is a thermos mug to keep his coffee warm on his 30 minute walk to work.  He had just put our garbage in the Big Blue Box.....more on that below.

Green Velvet Sofa

This is Cindy on the Green Velvet Sofa in our living room.  She spends her mornings looking for work in the US and now in Istanbul and working on the blog.  She also shops at the markets and is getting to know the shop keepers and they are getting to know her.  She is the crazy lady that does not want everything in a plastic bag, she has her own cloth bag!  Crazy Lady!  She is also our activity coordinator and plans our weekend outings.  Last weekend we went to the Grand Bazaar and this weekend we will sail up the Bosphorus towards the Black Sea have lunch at a little fishing village and sail back.  We are hoping Paul and Kris, that are coming for a weeks stay with us on Wednesday, are up for that!

Peek-a-Boo View

This is our view from the balcony on a sunny day!  We can look out and see the Bosphorus Strait and all kinds of boats going by.  It's also nice to see the sky and sun over the roof tops of this densely populated area!  Being on the south side of the street and on the top floor, we get lots of sunshine in our whole flat.  In the late afternoon, we have to have the slider door open to cool it down inside.  We are glad we have shades and a fan come summer.  Still looking for some chairs and flowers for the balcony.

Big Blue Box

See that big blue box on the street corner?  That's where our garbage goes.  Ben usually takes it out in the morning on his way to work.  It has a nice big foot bar on the bottom that opens the lid so you don't even have to touch the box with your hands.  Ben likes that!    Oh, Cindy loves that little old red mini in front of the new black mini too.

On the top of the box is a large ratchet poking out.  The garbage truck has the female part that hooks onto the top and picks it up over all the cars and hangs it over the garbage truck.  The bottom of the blue box splits in half and the bottom opens up and the garbage gets dumped into the truck.  Then they plop it back where it was!  There are natural recyclers that come and pick through the garbage and recycle anything from cardboard to used shoes on a daily basis.  If your car gets towed, they use a similar crane-like devise.  It just claws over the whole car and picks it up and places it on a flat bed truck.  Boom..gone!

First Friday Night

Here is Ben in our dining room on our first Friday night! See the nice sunset in the background?  Oh, and the shamrock hanging from the light?  Oh, and the nice bouquet of flowers Ben brought home?  Ben is wondering "where's the pork!?"  We did just find one deli in the fish market that actually had pork this Sunday afternoon!!  We had Gordon, Jimmy and Teresa over for a little house warming on Sunday evening and we served them a pork salami.  They were so thrilled to have pork that Gordon found the same deli that night and bought some more pork for himself.    

Bosphorus Strait Park

This is Ben on the staircase to the park at the end of our block.  We walk 1.5 blocks to the top of these stairs and down to the park.  It goes right down to the Bosphorus.  If we head north on the path, it takes us to the ferry docks and a little further is Ben's work.  If we head south it goes around a point that is the entrance to the Sea of Marmara.  We get great views of the European side and all the International ships going by.  The doggie condos are on the right side of these stairs.  

Stair Landing

Here is Ben at our stair landing, outside our front door.  The little curtained cupboard is for your shoes.  He is removing his shoes after a day of touring the Grand Bazaar on the European side.  

5 Stories Up

These are the stairs to our flat.  Yes, it's 5 stories up, with no elevator.  They don't always smell the best.  You get your neighbors strange cooking smells and someone has cats or lets the strays in.  It's a great workout, especially with a few bags of groceries.  We are happy that our apartment smells like us, but better since Ben brought home flowers with huge sweet smelling lilies.  Cindy thinks we should invest in lilies for each landing on the stairs!

Sunday at the Fish Market

 We went to the Fish Market again on our first Sunday in the flat.   It's about a 15-20 minute walk from our flat, depending which way we wind through the streets.  The array of fish is amazing, most caught locally in the Bosphorus, Black Sea and Sea of Marmara.  This market goes on for several blocks and is very similar to the Pike Place Market in Seattle.  

Produce at the Fish Market

Here is some produce at the market.  This market has deli's, spice shops, bakeries, butchers and anything else you would ever need to make a great meal.  It is quite overwhelming at first!  We are learning where to go for what we want and who can speak a little English to help us if we have questions.  The shop keepers are always willing to help you to buy their product or bring you to who has what you are looking for : )

Balcony Corner Market Shopping

If you need a little snack, or you just need some butter for dinner, each block has a little corner market.  Cindy has been talking to our corner store guy almost every day.  Today, after she went for a great run on the Bosphorus trail, she stopped in for a few sodas (that's what they call mineral water, plain or with fruit juice).  She only had a 50 that was too big for him to break.  So she went back up to the flat for a smaller bill.  Well, as she has been talking to him over the days she has learned how we can call him and order a few items, lower a basket or bag from the balcony with money in it and he will come and put the items in the bag, take his money and give you change!  So that's what Cindy did today!  She called him after looking up the Turkish words for basket and balcony, and she asked for her 3 sodas to be delivered.  He understood and came out and delivered her 3 sodas.  No running up and down 5 flights of stairs and it was fun!  This is the basket with a rope attached that Semra (our flat owner) left us for this purpose.  

Our Bedroom

This is our bedroom.  It came with all the furniture and drapes.  We bought a new mattress, pillows and bedding.  The mattress and all were delivered the night we bought it and they carried it up all those stairs for us!  The little lamp on the night stand we just bought at the Grand Bazaar this Saturday.  It is a classic Turkish style lamp we are bringing home with us when Ben moves back.  

It also has a nice big dresser and mirror.  That is the door out to the hallway by Ben. 

There are nice big armoires for our hanging clothes and more.  I guess Cindy can ship Ben the rest of his clothes when she gets home!

These are the windows and door to the enclosed back balcony.  This balcony is shared with our guest bedroom.  We will be very happy to have this back balcony for cross ventilation in the summer.  Another nice thing about this flat and bedroom is that it is quite at night, so sleep is easy.  

Back Courtyard

This is what we see out the back balcony.  It is much better than most courtyards we had seen while apartment hunting.  At least it has some trees and people take care of their back decks.  

The Bathroom

It has all the essentials!  Some extras are a towel warmer and a venting window.  The venting window is essential, it's just considered extra because, living on the top floor, everyones venting comes up this way.  We have since gotten a strong smelling candle we light in the bathroom.   

Guest Room

The guest bedroom has a large bed and the shared balcony out the back.   

It also has a large desk with a twin bed on top.  We have plenty of room for guests, so let us know when you can come and book your ticket!

It also has two chairs for relaxing in your own room.  Cindy is still not happy with the arrangement of this room, so we might be moving it around and putting that large white "armoire" out on the enclosed deck.  There will still be plenty of storage for anyones clothes.  

Ben's Dressing Room

This room is right across from our bedroom.  It has another nice armoire for Ben's work clothes.  He can get up and shower, then dress in here and not disturb Cindy in the bedroom at 6:00am or earlier, if she doesn't want to get up that early!  

It also doubles as the clothes drying room while we have guests.  It is really uncommon to have a dryer due to poor electricity.  There are other clothes drying racks in the enclosed balcony out back.  We are very happy to have a washer!  This is also the storage room, we have our luggage and some of the owners items we did not want or need around the house in here. 

Entryway

 This is the entryway where we hang our coats after taking our shoes off. It also has storage for purses and shopping bags.   Ben is coming from the bedrooms and bathroom area.

 Ben is at the front door that is a heavily secure steal door with several locks.

This side of the entryway leads to the kitchen on the right and the living room on the left.  

Kitchen

 This is Ben figuring out how to use the dishwasher for the first time.  We also have a stove, toaster oven and microwave oven.  Ovens are another thing that is rare due to poor electricity.

 Ben is making sure the dishwasher is firing off.  Cindy had to translate all the buttons on the dishwasher and the clothes washer that were in Turkish.  We have a nice big fridge too.

 This is Ben on the other side of the kitchen, with the dining room in the background.

Dining Room and Living Room

 Dining room and part of the living room from the kitchen

 From the other side of the living room

 Huge sectional in living-room, and Cindy is holding a pillow we bought at the Grand Bazaar.  The big screen TV is on the wall to the left.  We are still working on getting English speaking TV on the satellite.  Hopefully we have a guy coming tonight that will fix where our satellite dish points!

Again, plenty of room for guests.  We would love to have you.  Love'n our new place but love and miss you all too.   Ben and Cindy

A Happy Birthday shout out to Philip.  We both love you and wish you a great 25th birthday son.  Mom remembers that day like it was yesterday....how time flies.  You make us both so proud to have you as our son.  We bought you an awesome present at the Grand Bazaar the other day, we just hope mom gets through customs with it.  She'll send it to NYC when she gets home....or just throw it out the plane and aim for Central Park as she flies over  : )  Love mom and dad.