The Topkapi Palace is a historical museum located in the historic district of Sultanahmet on Seraglio Point, in the city of Istanbul, Turkey. It encompasses most of the Golden Horn, overlooking the Sea of Marmara and the strait of Bosphorus. Topkapi Palace stands as a presiding architectural masterpiece of Ottoman times, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and correspondingly one of the most visited destinations in all of Turkey.
The complex of Topkapi Palace is divided into factions of courtyards and smaller buildings, each beholding their own monumental attractions. The first courtyard is similar to a park and contains the coveted church of Hagia Eirene. The second courtyard includes the Tower of Justice and Outer Treasury while the third courtyard boasts the Audience Hall, Library of Ahmet III, and the Dormitory of Expeditionary Force. The Fourth Courtyard houses the Tulip Garden and famous Imperial Hall, as well as a variety of kiosks, with the final element of allure being the Harem, equipped with holy relics, the Mosque of Eunuchs, as well as the Church of Eunuchs.
Public transportation to Topkapi Palace is the most popular way of transit, served primarily by the Sultanahmet tram stop routing from Aksaray just outside the old city. There are public bus options as well, stopping at Eminönü or Beyazıt, near the Sultanahmet. Taxis are a third possibility.
Topkapi Palace served as the cultural and political capital of the Ottoman era from the 15th to the 19th century. It remains one of the best architectural examples of the historic period in the modern age.