There has always been some mystique attached around the Harem. Below you’ll find a fair impression of the Harem in Topkapi Palace.

There are two versions available: a YouTube version (smaller in size) and a WVM version (bigger in size). The length of both movies is the same: 2:17 min. Enjoy!

YouTube Version

Local Version

No related posts.

The word Harem comes from Arabic and originally means forbidden. Contrary to what many (want to) believe, the Harem was not just an erotic hothouse.
It was the private area of the sultan and his sons, hence forbidden for all other males, except the black eunuchs guarding the premises. Women on the other hand, had no trouble getting in. However, once in, there was no way out.

The Harem in Topkapi Palace is a must-see feature and is certainly worth the extra money.

The Harem (Harem)
Location
Inside the Topkapi Palace, the entrance is located in the Second Courtyard, left from the Tower of Justice.
on Map with Tourist Attractions in the Historical Part of Istanbul
Open
Daily, but closed on Tuesdays. On the first day of religious holidays, the museum is closed until 12.00. Tours start every half hour from 09.30 onwards until 15.45.
Ticket Sales
The entrance fee is TL 15. Tickets to the Harem are only available at the ticket box inside the palace, just outside the Harem itself.
Credit cards are not accepted. Bring exact change.

Don’t miss the boat

To visit the Harem, you have no option but to take a guided tour. Although the majority of these tours is in English, make sure you don’t end up in a rare Turkish one. These tours, with a maximum capacity of 50 people, take about half an hour and get booked up early in the day.
Take my advice: head straight for the Harem ticket box upon entering the palace. This way you don’t end up missing the boat and you also avoid standing in lengthy queues with the sun scorching your head.

Life in the Harem

The Harem, build at the end of the 16th century, was a labyrinth consisting of around 300 magnificently tiled rooms, connected by courtyards and fountain gardens. At its height, it was home (or prison) to over 1.000 harem women, children and black eunuchs.

Since Islam forbade enslaving Muslims, the majority of the harem women were Christians or Jews, mostly received as gifts from potentates and nobles. Especially girls from Circassia, the area now known as Georgia and Armenia, were favored for their dazzling beauty.
After entering the Harem, the girls were schooled in and converted to Islam and received proper palace training: they were taught how to write, read, play an instrument, sing, dance and provide pleasure to the sultan.

The head of the Harem was the valide sultan, the mother of the reigning sultan. Not only did she keep the Harem organized, she also decided about life and dead of the woman and had a tremendous influence on the sultan’s selection of wives or concubines. The ultimate goal of every concubine was to become the future valide sultan.

Competition in the Harem was therefore pretty stiff, since every concubine tried to court the favor of the valide sultan and catch the eye of the sultan. Giving birth to the sultan’s child led to a higher status. Certainly if it was a boy, because one day he could become the new sultan and she the new valide sultan, the most powerful women in the Ottoman Empire. Keep in mind that in the Ottoman dynasty, the throne was available to any imperial son. Primogeniture (the custom by which the oldest son ascends the throne) was not observed.

Since the stakes were high, besides the sex, violence in the form of poisoning or stabbing fellow captives was rather common in the Harem. Rivalry especially occurred between the mothers of the sultan’s children, since only one would make it to the top. To give you an idea, sultan Murat III fathered 103 children.
On top of all that, the concubines also had to be cautious for the chief black eunuch (kızlar ağası). He was considered second only to the Grand Vizier and, as the go-between for the sultan and the valide sultan, aware of all palace secrets. Because of their physical and psychological mutilation, they tended to be vindictive and corrupt. Legend has it that they sometimes stuffed girls in a sack and tossed them in the Bosphorus, just for the kicks of it.

The black eunuchs were mostly taken from Africa, preferably Sudan. Since in those days lighter skin (as that of the concubines) was considered more aesthetic than dark skin, the sultans believed that this would reduce the chance of love affairs between the concubines and their dark-skinned servants.

Guided tour

Of the approximately 300 rooms, unfortunately only a handful are open to the public. You enter the Harem via the Gate of Carts (Arabalar Kapısı) that leads to the Dome with Cupboards (Dolaplı Kubbe), a room full of shelves and cupboards where the eunuchs would keep their records of their deeds.

Via the Hall of the Ablution Fountain (Şadirvanli Sofa), the real entrance hall into the Harem and guarded by the black eunuchs, leads to the Courtyard of the Black Eunuchs.
On the left, behind the marble colonnade, you’ll see their dormitories. At the end is the apartment of the chief black eunuch (kızlar ağası) located.

The tour then continues via the Harem baths, where the concubines bathed and relaxed, and the Passage of Concubines (Cariye Koridoru), where the eunuchs placed the concubines’ dishes on the counters along the passage, into the Courtyard of the Concubines (Kadın Efendiler Taşlığı). This is the smallest courtyard in the Harem.

The next stops are the Apartments of the Queen Mother (Valide Sultan Dairesi). This apartment complex consisted of 40 rooms. Only two of them are open to the public: the dining room with reception area, and her bedroom with a niche for prayer. Both rooms are decorated with blue-and-white or yellow-and-green tiles from Iznik porcelain.

After walking through the Baths of the Sultan and the Queen Mother (Hünkar ve Valide Hamamları), the tour reaches the Imperial Hall (Hünkar Sofası). It is the largest dome in the Harem, where the sultan and his women gathered for entertainment as well as official receptions. Seated in his golden throne, the sultan would watch the proceedings.

Adjacent to the Imperial Hall are the Apartments of Sultan Murat III, consisting of his salon, library and dining room, also known as the fruit room because of the fruit and flowers painted on the walls.

The tour then continues with the Twin Kiosk (Çifte Kasırlar) or Apartments of the Crown Prince (Veliahd Dairesi). These superbly Iznik tiled rooms were used as the privy chambers of the crown prince, where he lived in seclusion and was trained in the discipline of the Harem.

Next stop is the Courtyard and Apartments of the Favorites (Gözdeler Dairesi). Walk to the edge of the courtyard to spot the swimming pool. The last two features are the Courtyard of the Valide Sultan and the Golden Road (Altınyol). The latter is a narrow passage that the sultan used to pass to the Harem. Legend has it that the sultan would throw gold coins on the floor for the concubines.

After exiting the Harem, you’ll find yourself in the Third Courtyard. For impressions of the Harem, visit the Harem Photo Gallery and the Harem Video Gallery.

No related posts.

As mentioned in the first part, the First Courtyard was the most public one, and therefore not really considered as being part of the Topkapi Palace.
But the deeper you go into the palace, the less accessible it was for the people of the Ottoman Empire. Where the Second Courtyard was already semi-public (see Topkapi Palace part 2), the Third and Fourth Courtyards as well as the Harem, were the most inaccessible ones.

The Third Courtyard

You enter the Third Courtyard, also called the Inner Palace, via the Gate of Felicity (3). It is possible you arrive in the Third Courtyard via a backdoor since the tour of the Harem ends there, but this is of course a far less impressive entry.
The Third Courtyard was the sultan’s private domain and therefore considered as the heart of the palace, guarded by white eunuchs.

Audience Chamber (4)

Upon entering the Third Courtyard, you’re immediately confronted with the Audience Chamber (Arz Odası). This is where the sultan received the Grand Vizier, council members and high-ranking officials to ratify their resolutions.
Foreign ambassadors could also have an audience with the sultan in this room, but only after being frisked first. And even after the strip-search, two white eunuchs would escort the ambassador at all times, each holding one of his arms. During such meetings, the Grand Vizier was also always present, since the sultan would never deign to speak with a non-Turk.

Sultan’s Costumes (6)

To the right of the Audience Chamber you’ll find the former dormitories of the Expeditionary Forces, now housing the Imperial Wardrobe Collection (Padişah Elbiseleri). It is a valuable collection consisting of around 2.500 garments. Top of the bill is undoubtedly the 550-year-old, red and gold silk kaftan worn by Mehmet the Conqueror, which is still in perfect shape.

Imperial Treasury (23)

Next to the houses with the sultan’s costumes, you’ll find the Imperial Treasury (Hazine). The Imperial Treasury is actually part of the Conqueror’s Pavillion or Kiosk (Fatih Köşkü), and is included in the basic Topkapi Palace entry fee.
In its original form, the pavilion consisted of three rooms, a sea-view terrace, a Turkish bath and a basement. In those days, it was used as a storage room for the revenues coming from Egypt (treasury) and art collections.

Now the Imperial Treasury displays a vast collection of art, jewelry and precious stones in three rooms, and is a must-see feature. Many of the items have never left the confines of the palace.

The first room shows the armors of Sultan Mustafa III, consisting of an iron coat of mail decorated with gold and encrusted with jewels, as well as his gilded sword and shield. Also worth mentioning is the ebony throne of Sultan Murat IV and a golden Indian music box.

The second room holds the greatest pieces, with the Topkapi dagger as the star of the show.
It is a golden hilt, ornamented with three large emeralds, topped by a golden watch and emerald lid. It was intended as a present for the Shah of Persia, but he was assassinated before it reached him. Sultan Mehmet IV first wore it when he acceded to the throne in 1648.

The most eye-catching piece of jewelry in the third room is the 86-carat Spoonmaker’s diamond, set in silver and surrounded with 49 diamonds. Also impressive are the two immense golden candleholders, each weighing 48 kg and holding 6666 diamonds, and the gold-plated Bayram throne, which was given to Sultan Murat III.

For obvious reasons, taking pictures or shooting videos is strictly prohibited!

Privy Chamber (17)

If you continue your tour of the Third Courtyard anti-clockwise, the next feature you’ll encounter is the Privy Chamber (Has Oda). The five domed rooms date back to 1578 and was used by the sultans as their office. Now the Privy Chamber displays some of the holiest relics of Islam. It displays the sword of the prophet Mohammed, one of his teeth, a hair of his beard, an autographed letter, and the most sacred treasure, his mantle. As a visitor, you cannot actually walk in that room, but you can look into it from an antechamber through an open doorway. Even the sultan and his family were permitted entrance only once a year, on the 15th day of Ramadan.
Nowadays, many people come on pilgrimage to see these relics. Night and day, holy men continuously chant passages from the Koran.

Library of Ahmet III (5)

In the center of the Third Courtyard is the Library of Ahmet III (III. Ahmet Kütüphanesi) located. This beautiful example of Ottoman architecture once contained over 3.500 books on theology and Islamic law. Although the manuscripts have been removed, it’s worth a visit to admire the 16th and 17th century Iznik tiles on the walls above the windows.

The Fourth Courtyard

The last court is also known as the Tulip Gardens. The Fourth Courtyard is a garden with terraces and pleasure pavilions, the Circumcision Room (16) (Sünnet Odası) excluded of course. After a long journey in the palace, the Fourth Courtyard is the place to be to enjoy a fresh cool sea breeze or a wonderful view over the Bosphorus (9).

The Mecidiye Pavilion (8) (Mecediye Köşkü) was the very last building ever constructed in the palace. It now houses the Konyalı restaurant, famous for its magnificent terrace. Prices are unfortunately accordingly.

No related posts.

After buying your tickets, you are entitled to enter the palace. For your convenience, I added a ground plan of the palace in this post. When you click on it, a bigger version will become available. While discussing the different locations and items inside the palace you’ll find numbers between brackets after their names. These will correspond with the numbers on the map.

The Second Courtyard

You enter the palace trough the Gate of Salutation (1) (Babus Selam), also known as the Middle Gate (Orta Kapı). The Gate of Salutation, through which only the sultan and the queen mother (Valide Sultan) were allowed on horseback, leads into the Second Courtyard, an huge park with plane trees, cypresses and rose bushes. Underneath is a cistern that dates back to Byzantine times. Unfortunately, it is mostly closed to the public.

As I mentioned in Topkapi Palace part 1, you’d better head straight for the Harem (24), to avoid traffic and to make sure you’ll be admitted. I won’t discuss the Harem here, but I devoted an extra post on how to visit Topkapi Palace’s Harem, a must-see feature.

Imperial Carriages

Directly to your right after entering the Second Courtyard, the imperial carriages are on display in the former stables. The carriages on display are some of the sultan’s carriages, including the state carriage and the carriage of the Valide Sultan.

Palace Kitchens (2)

The palace kitchens (mutfaklar), designed by court architect Mimar Sinan, cover the complete right-hand side of the Second Courtyard. You can’t miss them with their 20 wide chimneys clearly visible from wherever you are in the court. A kitchen staff of over 800 people prepared the meals for up to 5.000 inhabitants of the palace.

These days the kitchens exhibit the world’s second best collection of Chinese blue-and-white, white and celadon porcelain. Most of it was imported from China and Japan, transported via camels over the legendary Silk Route.
The 10.700 pieces of Chinese, Japanese and Turkish porcelain are rare and precious. The Chinese porcelain on display spans four dynasties: Sung, Yuan, Ming and Qing.
The collection also holds around 3.000 pieces of Yuan and Ming celadon, particularly valued by the sultans and the queen mother because it was supposed to change color when brought into contact with poisonous food.
Besides the porcelain, the kitchens also contain the palace’s collection of ceramics, glass and silverware.

Imperial Council (22)

Opposite the palace kitchens and around the corner from the Harem entrance is the Imperial Council (Divan). This is where the state affairs were discussed and the business of running the empire was carried out. The Imperial Council consisted of the Grand Vizier (Paşa Kapısı), viziers and other leading officials of the Ottoman Empire held meetings. They normally met four times a week to deliberate about the political, administrative and religious affairs of the state. It was also here that the Grand Vizier received ambassadors. Wedding ceremonies of the sultan’s daughters were held in these rooms too.

Please note the fountain in the middle of the room. When running, it enabled them to have secret conversations. From the window with the golden grill high on the wall, the sultan or queen mother could eavesdrop on deliberations of the council.

Tower of Justice

The Tower of Justice is located between the Imperial Council and the Harem. It is the highest structure of the palace, and supposedly offers great views of the entire palace. Unfortunately, every time I visited the palace, it was closed for renovation or other reasons. Maybe you’ll have more luck.

State Treasury or Weapons Room (21)

Adjacent to the Imperial Council you’ll find the former State Treasury, present home to an exhibition of weapons and armor, hence called the Weapons Room (Silahlar).

It displays a huge collection of some 400 weapons and armors, among which swords of various sultans.

Pay attention to the differences between the European and Ottoman weaponry. The latter looks lighter, yet deadlier.

Gate of Felicity (3)

The Gate of Felicity (Babussade) leads to the Third Courtyard (see Topkapi Palace part 3). The sultan only used this immense rococo style gate and the square (Divan Meydanı) in front of it during special ceremonies. Funerals of sultans were also conducted in front of the gate.

No related posts.

Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı) is undoubtedly one of Istanbul’s top tourist attractions. Strategically located on Seraglio Point (Sarayburnu) in the historical part of Istanbul, it has been the heart of the Ottoman Empire and the residence of the sultans and their woman of the Harem for over three centuries, until Sultan Abdülmecid in 1853 decided to move the court to the Dolmabahçe Palace (Dolmabahçe Sarayı).

Topkapi Palace (Topkapı Sarayı)
Location
Bab-ı Hümayün Caddesi, Sultanahmet (behind the Hagia Sophia).
Tel: +90 212 512 04 80
on Map with Tourist Attractions in the Historical Part of Istanbul
Open
Daily between 09.00 and 17.00. Closed on Tuesdays. On the first day of religious holidays, the museum is closed until 12.00.
Ticket Sales
The entrance fee is TL 20. Tickets can only be obtained from the ticket windows located in the First Courtyard of the Topkapi Palace museum.
Credit cards are accepted.

Location

The Topkapi Palace, directly translated as Cannongate Palace, is located on Seraglio Point, a promontory overlooking the Marmara Sea, the Golden Horn and the Bosphorus and therefore a natural strategic location. The palace is located directly behind the Hagia Sophia, and was built on the same spot where the acropolis of the ancient Greek city of Byzantium stood. Some of its remains are still visible inside the palace.

Initial construction and layout

Mehmet the Conqueror (Fatih Sultan Mehmet) ordered the construction of the palace in 1459, shortly after his conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Mehmet the Conqueror established the basic layout of the palace. He summoned experienced artisans and used the most expensive and rare materials of that time in an attempt to restore the city’s former glory.

Rather than a single building, it consisted of a series of pavilions contained by four immense courtyards (see ground plan in part 2). It was a stone version of the tented encampments from which the nomadic Ottomans had emerged. Contrary to other royal residences that had strict master plans, Topkapi Palace developed over the course of centuries, with various sultans adding and changing various parts. Renovations were also carried out after the 1509 earthquake and the 1665 fire. The final version of the palace covered an area of 700.000 m² and was home to as many as 4.000 people.

Function

Topkapi Palace was the official residence of the Ottoman sultans since Mehmet the Conqueror until the reign of Sultan Abdülmecid (Sultan Abdulmajid) in 1853. For a 400-year period, the palace was the administrative, educational and cultural centre of the Ottoman Empire. Initially, the palace served as the seat of government and imperial residence. It contained a school in which civil servants and soldiers were trained, dormitories, gardens, libraries and even mosques. Access was strictly regulated and inhabitants of the palace rarely had to venture out since the palace functioned as an autonomous entity, a city within the city.

In 1853 Sultan Abdülmecid abandoned Topkapi Palace in favor of Dolmahbahçe Palace (Dolmahbahçe Sarayı). From that moment on, the sultans no longer resided in the Topkapi Palace. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the foundation of the Turkish Republic, upon the order of Atatürk, the palace started to serve as a museum on 3 April 1924, consisting of an area of 100.000 m², 200.000 archived documents, 86.000 antics and 20 exhibition halls.

You need at least half a day to explore the palace, but you can easily wander around in it for a whole day and get your money’s worth.

First Courtyard

The entrance to the palace is via the Imperial Gate (Bab-ı Hümayun), erected by Sultan Fatih in 1478. This massive gate is now covered in 19th century marble and decorated with verses from the Holy Koran and with niches that were used to display the severed heads of rebels and criminals.

The gate leads to the first of a series of four courts that become more private the deeper you penetrate into the complex. The First Courtyard, also known as the Court of the Janissaries or Parade Court, functioned as an outer precinct or park, hence is not included in the ground plan in Topkapi Palace part 2.

Off to the left there is the church of Haghia Irene (Aya İrini Kilisesi), the city’s only church of the pre-Ottoman era that was never turned into a mosque. Furthermore, the First Courtyard contains the former Imperial Mint (Darphane-i Amire), the magnificent Istanbul Archaeological Museums (Arkeologi Müzeleri) and various pavilions and fountains, such as the Fountain of the Executioner, next to the ticket windows. Here the executioner washed his hands and sword after a decapitation.

Janissaries (infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultans’ household troops and bodyguard) and merchants could circulate freely in the Court of the Janissaries, but the Second Courtyard was restricted. Today this is still very much the case, since you must buy a ticket to enter the palace and its other three courtyards.

Tickets

You can find the ticket windows just before the gate to the Second Courtyard, on the right-hand side. English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Italian and Arabic guides are available next to the main ticket office at an additional cost. Audio guides and free maps can be found inside the palace, just after entering the Second Courtyard. Tickets to the Harem are only available at the ticket box inside the palace, just outside the Harem itself.

Take my advice and come early! Queues can be lengthy, certainly if cruise-ships entered Istanbul’s harbor. I always go 15 minutes before opening, buy my ticket to the palace and the treasury, and head straightaway to the Harem ticket box. This way I’m sure I’ll be able to visit the Harem (the amount of visitors per day is restricted) and I don’t have to stand in line with the sun scorching my head.

No related posts.