Topkapi Palace Museum

Topkapi Palace is defined by its four expansive, interconnected courtyards that stretch across the historic peninsula of Istanbul, overlooking the confluence of the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn. Commissioned by Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in fourteen fifty-nine, this sprawling complex served as the administrative heart and primary residence of Ottoman sultans for nearly four centuries. Within these walls, thousands of officials, soldiers, and royal family members managed the affairs of an empire that spanned three continents.