Inside Topkapi Palace

The kitchens inside Topkapi Palace were the largest in the entire empire. Divided into ten domed structures, one can enter the kitchens after passing through three doors. There were baths, dormitories and a mosque inside the kitchens for the 800-plus staff who worked here.

The kitchens today exhibit the old utensils used in the Ottoman period, as well as a collection of silver and porcelain objects. The 10,700 Chinese porcelain pieces of the Palace are among the finest porcelain collections in the world and include pieces from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties.

Situated next to the Gate of Felicity is the Imperial Council, which was the meeting chamber of the Grand Vizier and the council ministers. One of the highlights of Topkapi Palace architecture, the council hall has several entrances. The porch has pillars of marble and porphyry, while the ornate green-and-white wooden ceiling is adorned with gold.

While the pillars are Ottoman, the décor and wall paintings are of the Rococo style. The Rococo-style exterior entrances have gilded grills. The Imperial Council has three domed chambers, of which the main chamber has Ottoman Kutahya tiles.

One of the two treasuries inside Topkapi Palace is in the Second Courtyard and is currently in use as the arms and armour exhibit. This Outer Treasury’s construction plans and style suggest it was built in the 15th century and was later altered and renovated. The structure has eight domes and is constructed of stone and brick. In front of the Imperial Treasury lies the Palace Basilica, a Byzantine-era church that dates to the 5th century.

Inside Topkapi Palace is an unmatched arms collection that remained when the Palace was converted into a museum. The arms collection is among the world’s greatest collections of Islamic arms and consists of pieces that date from the 7th to 20th centuries.

The collection has arms and armour manufactured by the Ottoman empire, won in foreign conquests, or those that were given as presents. While objects from the Ottoman era form much of the collection, swords from the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates, Mamluk and Persian helmets and axes, and European and Asian arms also are an important part of the collection.

Right behind the Gate of Felicity is the Audience Chamber. The 15th-century Ottoman kiosk has 22 columns that support the huge ceiling with hanging eaves. The blue ceiling is adorned with golden stars, the walls have turquoise, blue and white tiles, and the floor was always covered with priceless carpets and pillows. Central to the Audience Chamber is the main throne room, where the Sultan sat on a heavily ornate throne covered in precious stones and fine textiles.

Among the oldest structures inside Topkapi Palace is the Imperial Treasury, also known as the Conqueror’s Pavilion. The structure has two floors constructed on a terrace above the garden. The upper floor has four chambers while the lower floor has service rooms, all of which open onto the Third Courtyard. The Treasury houses an impressive collection of heirlooms, artworks, and jewellery belonging to the Ottoman Sultans.

The Miniature and Portrait Gallery is on display at the pages’ dormitory inside Topkapi Palace. The lower floor houses a vast collection of important miniatures and calligraphy, which include Qurans handcrafted by Kufic and a 4th-century Arabic Bible.

A priceless treasure of the collection is the Piri Reis world map, which is the first world map and displays the western coasts of Europe, North Africa, and Brazil with reasonable accuracy. The upper floor has 37 portraits of the various Ottoman Sultans and numerous other precious Ottoman miniatures.

A stunning example of Topkapi Palace architecture is the Neo-classical Enderun Library. Designed like a Greek cross, the structure has three rectangular bays, a central hall, and walls adorned with 16th and 17th-century Iznik tiles. While the interior is embellished in styles of the Tulip period, the exterior is covered in marble. This is one of the best things to explore inside Topkapi Palace.

The Enderun Library currently holds a rare and priceless collection of more than 20,000 Islamic and non-Islamic manuscripts. From first edition copies to unique maps, the world’s finest Islamic calligraphy and 3,000 Qurans in Kufic script are just a few of the library’s unmatched precious collections.

The Mosque of the Agas is the largest mosque and one of the oldest structures inside Topkapi Palace. The structure was constructed in a diagonal line in the Third Courtyard so that it aligned with Mecca, and was the prayer place of the Sultan, the agas and the pages.

When the Palace was converted into a museum, the original collection of the Enderun Library was shifted here. The Palace Library, as it is now known, houses 13,500 Greek, Arabic, Persian and Turkish manuscripts gathered by the Ottomans. Located near the mosque is the Imperial Portraits Collection.

The Dormitory of the Royal Pages houses the Imperial Portraits Collection and was once a part of the Sultan’s chambers. The domed chamber has several pillars supporting it, of which some are from the Byzantine period. The portraits in the dormitory depict all the Ottoman Sultans and some rare photographs as well. The earlier portraits are idealised versions created as per Islamic laws about recreating living beings.

The summer kiosk of the Circumcision Room was added as a space for circumcising young princes as per Islamic traditions. The exterior and interior décor consists of rare recycled tiles from old structures in the Second and Third Courtyard. The symmetrically proportioned room has blue and white tiles with motifs and windows that have small fountains.

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The Yerevan Kiosk functioned as a religious retreat for forty days and was constructed to celebrate Ottoman victory over Yerevan. The structure sports a central dome and three niches for textiles and sofas. The wall that faces the gallery has marble set on it, while the other walls are adorned with Iznik blue-and-white tiles. Most of the original embellishments still exist, like the projecting eaves, recessed cupboards, and decorative woodwork.

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Constructed in commemoration of the 17th-century Baghdad Campaign, the Baghdad Kiosk has a close resemblance to the Yerevan Kiosk. Based on the classical four-iwan plan, sofas fill the rectangular bays between the three doors to the porch. The façade has marble, antique and porphyry adorning it, with the portico marble reflecting the Cairene Mamluk style.

The interiors showcase the ideal Ottoman room and have vibrant tiles in the shades of green, yellow, blue and white. The pavilion is one of the final examples of classical Topkapi Palace architecture.

The magnificent Iftar Kiosk is one of the most popular tourist attractions and offers beautiful views of the Golden Horn. The kiosk has a ridged cradle vault with a gilded roof and was a new addition to Ottoman architecture with its Chinese and Indian influences. The marble terrace was a later addition to the structure. It is believed that the Sultan broke his Ramadan fast with the evening iftar at this pavilion, which was also referred to as the ‘Moonlit Seat’.

The Terrace Kiosk boasts of being the only wooden structure in the Fourth Courtyard. Constructed as a belvedere in the 16th century, it was rebuilt in the 18th century in the awe-inspiring Rococo style. This pleasure pavilion was for the Sultan to watch sports and other entertainment conducted in the Tulip Garden. Originally used as a restroom, it was later made a guest lodge. The Terrace Kiosk has a main hall, a prayer room, and the Room for Sweet Fruit Beverages, which are rooms with columns supporting them.

The Tower of the Head Tutor boasts of being the oldest structure in the Fourth Courtyard, which was constructed as a watch tower in the 15th century. Used as the Chamber of the Chief Physician and the court drugstore, the tower was the shared residence of the Chief Physician and the Chief Tutor. The two-storeyed structure has few windows, and the walls are about two metres thick. When the Sultan moved out of Topkapi Palace, the tower became a music conservatory, a cleaning place for palace arms, and finally, it houses the medical objects collection today.