Istanbul - Discover Turkey: Experience the Best of Turkey - page 153

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Don't Miss
Topkapı Palace
Libidinous sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines and scheming eunuchs lived and worked here between
the 15th and 19th centuries, when Topkapı was the court of the Ottoman empire. Visiting the palace's opulent pavil-
ions, jewel-filled Treasury and sprawling Harem gives a fascinating glimpse into their lives. See Click here for more
information.
Through the Imperial Gate is the First Court . Buy tickets to the palace at the main ticket office just outside the
Middle Gate, which leads to the Second Court . Here, the Palace Kitchens exhibit Chinese celadon porcelain, and
the Outer Treasury displays arms and armour.
The entrance to the Harem is on the court's western side. Far from being a place of debauchery, these were the
imperial family quarters, governed by tradition, obligation and ceremony. The sumptuous 300-room complex has
six floors; only one floor can be visited.
The Third Court , the sultan's private domain, is entered through the Gate of Felicity. The Dormitory of the Ex-
peditionary Force houses imperial robes, talismanic shirts, kaftans and uniforms worked in silver and gold thread.
The Sacred Safekeeping Rooms house relics of the Prophet, and sultans' portraits hang in the Dormitory of the
Privy Chamber. On the court's eastern edge, the Treasury features an incredible collection of objects made from or