The story of Topkapı Palace
After conquering Constantinople, Sultan Mehmed II began this palace in the 1460s on the point where the Bosphorus, the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmara meet. For about 400 years it was the seat of the Ottoman sultans and their government.
Its four courtyards hold the imperial kitchens, the council chamber, the Harem where the sultan's family lived, and the Treasury with the Topkapı Dagger and the Spoonmaker's Diamond. The Privy Chamber keeps sacred relics, including items associated with the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).
