Topkapı Palace

Topkapı Palace is one of the leading museums in Istanbul. In the 15th century, it served as the primary residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans. Construction began in 1459, six years after the conquest of Constantinople. The complex was expanded over the centuries. However, later sultans preferred to spend more time in their new palaces along the Bosphorus, and the Topkapı became the imperial treasury, library, and mint.

After the end of the Ottoman Empire, the Topkapı was transformed into a museum in 1924. The museum collection includes Ottoman clothing, weapons, armor, miniatures, religious relics, and illuminated manuscripts.