There are hundreds of ancient cisterns hidden underneath the streets and houses of Istanbul. Of the two that are open to the public, the Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnıcı) is the largest and Istanbul’s most unusual tourist attraction. Contrary to James Bond, who had to row his way through Istanbul underground cistern in From Russia with Love, you can take a stroll in the … [Read more...]
See How Easily You Can Visit the Harem of Topkapi Palace
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 … [Read more...]
Little Known Ways to Make the Most of Topkapi Palace – Part 3
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, the Third and Fourth Courtyards as well as the Harem, were the most … [Read more...]
Little Known Ways to Make the Most of Topkapi Palace – Part 2
After buying your Topkapi Palace 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 … [Read more...]
Little Known Ways to Make the Most of Topkapi Palace – Part 1
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 women of the Harem for over three centuries, until Sultan Abdülmecid in 1853 decided to move the court to the … [Read more...]