The Topkapı Palace (“Cannongate Palace” – named after a nearby gate), is located at the tip of a spit of land in the European part of Istanbul. It was built on the site of the old acropolis of ancient Greek Byzantion. After the fall of Constantinople, it became not just the primary residence of the Ottoman sultans and their households, but also the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire from 1465 to 1853. In the hey-day of the Ottoman Empire there resided about 4,000 people in the palace. It was originally called the “New Palace” to distinguish it from the Eski Sarayi, the former residence of the sultan in Istanbul. It became known as the Topkapı Palace in the 19th century, named after a (now destroyed) Topkapı shore pavillion. Check this location if you are in Istanbul.
A few years after his conquest of Constantinople, the construction of a new palace was ordered by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in 1459, who also established the layout of the palace. This layout would dictate the pattern of future renovations. He summoned experienced craftsmen from everywhere, especially inhabitants from Constantinople who had fled to Edirne and Bursa after the fall of the city. He used the most expensive and rare materials, trying to give back to the city its former glory. The palace was completed in 1465. The palace is favourably located on the Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu), a promontory overlooking the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara in Istanbul, having a splendid view of the Bosphorus. It consists of a conglomeration of many smaller buildings and four courts.
Coordinates: 41.013° N 28.984° E
