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Guided Topkapi Palace Museum Tour
Guided Museums Tours
4.5
25245 Reviews #4 in Istanbul
Free With
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€38 Regular Ticket Value
Are you ready to explore the magnificent history of Topkapi Palace? Sultans, ambitious courtiers, beautiful concubines, and scheming eunuchs lived here for almost 400 years! Visiting the palace's ornate corridors, jewel-filled architecture, and legendary rooms gives you a fascinating glimpse into their lives.
Exploring Topkapı Palace in the best way is so easy with the Istanbul Tourist Pass! You will enjoy hearing the hidden stories, architecture, and history of Topkapı Palace with Istanbul Tourist Pass guides!
Take a breathtaking tour in history with the magnificent Topkapi Palace!
Mobile ticketing - No need for printed voucher, we're digital!
Skip the ticket line - Avoid queues!
Duration - 60 Minutes Check Time table to see starting times
Instant confirmation - The tour doesn't require a reservation in advance.
Guide - English
Highlights
See the great architecture of the Topkapi Palace
Learn the magnificent history of Topkapi Palace
See breathtaking views of Istanbul over the Golden Horn and Bosphorus
Includes
Guided Entry to Topkapi Palace
Professional English speaking tour guide
Covid-19 precautions
Safety - All areas that customers touch are frequently cleaned
Social - Distancing is maintained in museums
Mask - Wearing mask is mandatory during museum visit
Limited Visitors - To reduce crowds, the number of visitors is limited
Contactless - No need for printed voucher, we're digital!
In the 1600s, Evliya Çelebi, a famous Ottoman author and traveller, said of Topkapı Palace: "Never hath a more delightful residence been erected by the art of man."
See it for yourself and get the most out of your visit to Topkapı Palace, the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans for nearly 400 years.
Topkapı Palace has many unique collections on display including weapons of the Ottoman Army, beautiful fabrics, jewels and art, as well as an amazing collection of Chinese and Japanese porcelain.
There is even a Holy Relics Chamber which contains personal items of the Prophet Muhammad, the staff of Moses and the sword of David, to name only a few. What a collection!
The most visited museum in Turkey, Topkapı Palace is an absolute must-see while you're in Istanbul so add it to your itinerary now!
Less queuing, more viewing!
Mondays: 11:30
Tuesdays: NO TOUR
Wednesday: 11:00, 14:30
Thurdays to Sundays: 11:30, 13:00
The approximate duration is 60 minutes
Please meet your guide at the meeting point 10 minutes before the tour start time.
Click for Meeting Point's Picture.
View TimetableTake the T1 Bağılar - Kabataş tram and get off at Gulhane station. The museum is an easy 5-10 minute walk away.
Meet your guide in front of the Carpet Museum (Halı Müzesi), outside the palace. The guide will be holding a flag with the logo of Istanbul Tourist Pass.
Get DirectionsThe guided tours are performed in English.
The tour starts in front of the Old Carpet Museum. Click "Get Directions" above to find the location on Google Maps.
The tour doesn't require a reservation in advance.
Istanbul Tourist Pass holders do not pay admission at the Topkapı Palace Museum.
Children will be asked to present their passport at the entrance to confirm their age.
Harem Section is not included in the Pass.
The museum is only open for half a day on the first day of Ramadan and the Sacrifice Festivals.
Avoid paying the entry fees and skip the ticket queues with Istanbul Tourist Pass®.
Guided Topkapi Palace Museum Tour is Included in Istanbul Tourist Pass®️
Topkapı Palace, one of the largest and most eye-catching structures of the Ottoman period, contains historical elements in abundance. This building, which has managed to preserve its splendor until today, is open to visitors as a museum. The Topkapı Palace museum, which is divided into different sections and each section is believed to have a different function, hosting millions of visitors throughout the year. When it comes to the size of the palace, it is not possible for all parts of it to be open to visitors. However, a large part of the palace is available for visitations.
Topkapi Palace museum is among the best places to visit in Istanbul. It amazes its visitors with its impressive history. This palace, which was built by the famous Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror right after the conquest of Istanbul, hosted dozens of Ottoman Sultans and powerful personalities of history.
Its construction was started in 1460 and completed in 1478. It was built on a land of 700,000 square meters. Being located in Sarayburnu, at the tip of the Istanbul peninsula between the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn, Topkapi Palace can be seen from almost anywhere in Istanbul.
Four hundred years of the empire, especially during the era of Fatih Sultan Mehmet and Sultan Abdülmecid; Topkapı Palace, has managed to maintain its importance since the day it was built. This structure can also be considered as the center of education, administration and art.
The Topkapı Palace museum, which was opened to the public as a museum after the proclamation of the Republic of Turkey, has an interior space of 400,000 square meters. At the same time, this palace is the first museum of the Republic of Turkey. Topkapı Palace has collections and approximately 300,000 archive documents. It is one of the largest palace museums in the world. The palace, which has many different works under its roof, is flooded by both local and foreign visitors every year.
Surrounded by gardens and squares, the palace has four interlocking courtyards. Each courtyard has a different purpose. For example, the courtyard used by the statesmen was not the same as the courtyard used by the Sultan's concubines. At the same time, the Sultan's family members used a completely different part of the Palace.
Topkapı Palace museum, which combines aesthetic appearance with baroque architecture, perfectly reflects the magnificent Ottoman culture and lifestyle. In addition to the showiness of the palace, there are also special corners, as the Sultan and his family loved.
It is possible to find traces of history in this building, where the plain walls are decorated with fine details. The precious jewels in the palace, clothes belonging to the Sultan and his family, items of religious importance and historical furniture attract attention.
The Topkapı Palace museum, which receives thousands of visitors throughout the year, is known for being constantly busy and crowded. You can visit this museum,with the privilege of the Istanbul Tourist Pass. In addition to that, you can turn your next route to the Madam Tussauds museum to see the wax statues of the Ottoman Sultans who lived in Topkapı Palace back in the day.
Topkapi Palace is really big, covering an area of about 700,000 square meters. What to see in Topkapi Palace? When visiting Topkapi, you can see the palace, which consists of two basic organizations: the outer and inner palaces and the Harem. Topkapi has several separate rooms that have been used by rulers for various purposes for centuries. There are private rooms, pavilions, rooms for soldiers, barracks, a large kitchen, a large library, loggias, offices and prison rooms. Before passing the first section, called the Imperial Gate, be sure to look at the beautifully decorated stone fountain in the outer square. It is a small rectangular structure with five smaller domes made in the rococo style of 1728. Topkapi Palace paintings present a collection of imperial portraits housed in the Sultan's chambers. The painted portraits depict all Ottoman sultans.
Surrounded by tall walls, the first courtyard functioned as an outdoor area or park and is the largest of all the palace courtyards. Some historic structures of the First Courtyard no longer exist. When you pass through the imperial door on the right, you will see a space known as the former Ministry of Finance. There are two niches on the door and an inscription of the Qur'an. To the left of it is the Byzantine Church of Hagia Eirene.
The second gate was built in 1468, during the time of Mehmed II the Conqueror, and was restored during the time of Suleiman the Magnificent, similar to European construction styles. The premises behind this second gate served, in present terms, as the logistics and administration division, for affairs concerning the administration of the empire. To the right of this second gate you can see the large kitchen. Next to the kitchen on the right are barracks and pantries, and further along the trail you will find the imperial barn and the Besir Age mosque. On the left, there is the Topkapi Palace tower of justice. A panel of officials met there to discuss state issues and the Sultan, often hidden behind a gold screen high up in the wall, would tap on the screen if he disagreed with their decisions.
These were imperial chambers and every detail of life in the Harem was characterized by tradition, obligation and ceremony. The word 'harem' literally means 'forbidden' or 'private'. Topkapi Palace’s Harem was the private haven of the Ottoman Sultan and his extended family at Topkapi Palace. Here, the word ‘harem’ also referred to the physical space in which he and his family members lived. The first Harem was deliberately built by Murat III in 1574 and later upgraded by the Sultans. Apart from the Sultans, the only ones in the Harem were the eunuchs who guarded him. You will have the opportunity to see beautifully decorated rooms, with canopies, marble fireplaces, flower tiles on floors and small fountains.
Topkapi Palace Gate of Felicity is the entrance to the third courtyard, which consists of a private and residential part of the palace. No one could walk through this door without the Sultan's approval. The gate was built in the late 15th century. Under the vault of this third courtyard is the "Preston Hall" from the period of Mehmed the Conqueror, which is where he met with foreign MPs and viziers. Behind this hall is the library of Ahmet III, made in 1719. The most valuable of the entire Topkapi complex is the royal treasury, which contains the most valuable pieces of jewelry, weapons, diamonds and emeralds, with ruler's uniforms, kaftans, sultan uniforms and dresses.
Here you will be amazed by the beautiful tulip garden. On the edge of the terrace is a raised tower, once a pharmacy of the imperial palace, and a little further is a pavilion of Mustafa pastures. To the left of the garden is a small terrace with a swimming pool. At the end of the terrace there is a view of the Golden Horn Bay and the Bosphorus. You’ll also find the most beautiful pavilion of Topkapi Palace there, "Baghdad Pavilion", built in 1638 in honor of the occupation of Baghdad. The walls of the pavilion are lined with ceramic tiles and the inside of the dome is made of deer leather and gold. The windows are of ivory and pearl.
Topkapı Palace, which has hosted 400 years of the 600-year-old Ottoman period, took its place among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1985.
The kitchen, harem, and the supply room of the palace, which was severely damaged due to a fire in 1574, were restored by Mimar Sinan upon II. Selim's order.
Topkapı Palace, which combines European Baroque architecture with traditional Ottoman architecture, continues to serve only some parts of which are open to visitors these days.
Topkapi Palace, is flooded with visitors from all over the world, it also attracts the attention of local tourists.
This palace, which was used as the home of not only important statesmen and clergy, but also the Sultan and his family, hosted thousands of servants.
Topkapı Palace is famous for its entertainment and feasts. In the palace, food enough for thousands of people was cooked. The palace also hosted a different event every week back in the day.
By having the Istanbul Tourist Pass®, you can visit more than 75+ attractions in Istanbul. You can save huge amount of time and money by not waiting in the long queues or paying fees at the entrances of the museums or for other facilities and activities. You can buy the Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 or 10 days. So many attractions are available with Istanbul Tourist Pass®️ such as Topkapı Palace, Hagia Sophia, Dolmabahçe Palace, Sapanca Lake daily tour, Dinner on the Bosphorus, Istanbul Airport Shuttle etc. included in the pass. For more details and updated attractions available with the pass can be found on website.
Topkapı Palace is one of the important structures that was built during the Ottoman Empire and has managed to preserve its historical importance until today. It is one of the most visited historical places in Turkey as well.
Inside the magnificent building, you will find imperial collections from the iconic Ottoman Empire. You will also explore a vast collection of books and manuscripts in the Topkapi library.
Throughout the reign of the Ottoman empire, many ottoman sultans lived in Topkapi Palace. It was the imperial residence for many sultans.
Yes! We think Topkapi Palace is one of the best attractions included in Istanbul Tourist Pass, besides the other 75+ attractions. It was home to many Ottoman sultans for centuries, and now holds a huge amount of history.
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No, this attraction cannot be accessed directly by presenting the digital Pass at the museum. You need to enter with the tour guide.