Ottoman Court

Istanbul is like a huge giant forever hungry. This enormous city of more than 15 million registered residents, in reality, hosts more than 20 million people. Istanbul has always been a center of attraction, acting like a magnet attracting people of all walks and cultures, making the city a melting pot of diverse culinary cultures.

Istanbul's Topkapı Palace, affiliated with the National Palaces Department, opened its doors at night for the first time on June 30 to visitors.

The palace will be open every Saturday night between 9 and 11 p.m. and visitors will have the opportunity to tour the palace in two groups.

One of the phased restoration works, carried out in the Harem (seraglio) section of Topkapı Palace by the Presidency of National Palaces, has been completed.

The Concubines Courtyard (Cariyeler Taşlığı) and Bath and Kuşhane Kitchen were opened to visitors for the first time with their new arrangement.

As the month of Ramadan will begin soon, approximately 600 works of art are on display for visitors in the Chamber of Holy Relics at Topkapı Palace.

The artworks in the Chamber of Holy Relics can be visited every day between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. except Tuesday.

Restoration works at Topkapı Palace, a peerless marvel that has been home to the Ottoman dynasty for more than 400 years in Istanbul, are about to finish soon.

The efforts have been continuing since 2019, and when they are finished, visitors will be able to see the Fatih Mansion, which was one of the most visited sections in the palace.

An example of classical period decoration called "saz-style" has been found on the vaulted ceiling in the fourth courtyard of Istanbul's iconic Topkapı Palace, the former seat of the Ottoman sultans and their retinues, during a restoration work that has been ongoing for five months.

The National Palaces Administration, which is temporarily closed to visitors in efforts to protect public health within the measures taken against the novel coronavirus, continues its restoration works within alternating and flexible working hours.

Ongoing restorations at Topkapı Palace have unearthed never-before-seen silver and gold coins, jewelries, talismans, amulets and letters. But one mysterious finding amongst others was an encrypted letter dating back to 1871, carrying the seal of Cevher Agha, also known as the Dârüssaade Ağası, the chief eunuch of Sultan Abdülaziz’s harem, found in a closet at the harem of the palace.

After a number of scientific reports raised the alarm that Istanbul's historic Topkapı Palace is sliding steadily toward the sea, officials have launched  a restoration effort that is planned to take around three decades. 

Istanbul's Topkapı Palace Museum is undergoing the most comprehensive restoration project in its history. The ongoing 24 projects are expected to cost 220 million Turkish Liras, Culture and Tourism Minister Nabi Avcı has said in a statement.