istanbul - C2C

Gate of Salutation
36
Topkapı Palace, the first place to visit on arrival
in İstanbul, is actually not a single building but
a complex of individual buildings set out on a
large garden. Its history cannot be restricted to a
single period. While its construction was started
on the orders of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror,
he died before its completion. The initial building
was completed in 1478 during the reign of Sultan
Bayezid II, and over the next 400 years the palace
was enlarged by adding new buildings according
to the needs of the period as a residence and
administrative centre. Towards the mid-19th
century the sultans preferred the new palaces
along the İstanbul Strait such as Dolmabahçe,
Beylerbeyi, and Çırağan; however, Topkapı was
never abandoned as it also housed the Chamber
of Sacred Relics, which was regularly maintained
and repaired. Also, many state officials continued
to live in the palace.
Topkapı Palace could be reached by walking
through the square between Ayasofya and Sultan
Ahmet Mosque. Before gaining entry to the