Turkey is a country where you can find truly spectacular architectural wonders that make it a place that you must visit at least once in your life, especially if you like architecture. Peering through all its buildings I came across one that I found spectacular and which is in Istanbul : the Topkapi Palace .
This palace was inaugurated in 1465 and was the residence of the sultanates until 1856. It is a spectacularly large building that has, among many other rooms, four patios , a weapons room, royal stables, kitchen, Treasury Room, many rooms and halls… Undoubtedly a huge and architecturally very rich place that you will need to spend about 5 hours if you want to see it completely and in a quiet way.
The best thing is that you go first thing in the morning because that way you will have more time and there will not be as many people as a little later, that there is usually a large audience and you may not have so much peace of mind to enjoy everything. As soon as you enter the palace, on the right, there is a telephone guide that gives you a few explanations about the castle.
There are three of the dependencies that are a must-see: the Treasure Room , the Archaeological Museum and the Harem. They are the ones that always have the most influx of visitors so it is best to see them as soon as possible to be able to do it without many people around. In the Treasury Room there are really valuable pieces, such as an 88 carat diamond that belonged to Napoleon’s mother or the Topkapi dagger , which is the most expensive weapon in the world and is made with gold and emeralds.
In the Archaeological Museum you can also see very important pieces and remains from different periods of Turkish history, while in the Harem you can discover the place where all the women and concubines of the Sultan lived. To enter the Harem you have to pay a separate entrance fee but it is worth it as it is an impressive room. General admission costs about € 5 and the palace is open every day except Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.