Topkapi Palace Istanbul - Day 6 part 1

It's a beautiful morning in Istanbul on day 6.

After breakfast mom and me took the tram down to the old city (Sultanahmet).

Walked around and passed by the Hippodrome.

We did a little souvenir shopping and headed towards the Topkapi palace which was the official and primary residence of the Ottoman sultans for 400 years of their 600 year reign. Since 1985 it is a UNESCO world heritage site.

This is what it looks like from above a model of the whole palace & the inner part of the palace.

Mom at the imperial gates.

Walking through the first courtyard.

The gate of salutation which leads to the second courtyard.

The imperial Divan (council)

The imperial treasury

The Gate of Felicity which leads to the 3rd courtyard and private residential areas.

Entering the Harem which was the home of the valide sultan, the concubines, the sultan's favourites and the wives of the sultan, and the rest of the royal family including the servants.

walking through the Eunuchs courtyard in the Harem

This is the interior of the crown princes room.

All the windows are decorated with stained glass.

The Imperial Hall.

The courtyard of the favorites. The favourites were conceived as the instruments of perpetuation of the dynasty in the harem organisation. When the favourites became pregnant they assumed the title and power of the official consort of the sultan.

The fourth courtyard of the upper terrace.

mom in front of the grand kiosk

After walking through the whole palace and reading everything I see it was already lunch time.

so after lunch at the old city off to the Basilica Cistern and a stroll at the Gulhane Park stay tuned for day 6th part 2