Event: Turkey - Istanbul

Topkapi Palace

When:	Daily; not Tue
Where:	Topkapi Palace
Costs:	YTL10; Harem extra YTL10
Opening Hours:	May-Sep: Wed-Sun 9am-7pm; Oct-Apr: Wed-Mon 9am-5pm

Istanbul's most famous attraction, the vast Topkapi Palace in Sultanahmet was the hub of Ottoman power for three centuries. Visit the gleaming Treasury, Mother of Sultan's apartment and the sultans' "family tree" of portraits. The Harem is well worth the extra ticket.

In 1453 the Ottoman Turks under Mehmet II conquered the city and made it their capital. They built the Topkapi Palace as their home, overlooking the Istanbul Bogzi and the Marmara Sea, and it became the political nerve-centre of the Ottoman Empire. Under the reign of Suleyman the Magnificent (1520-1566), the Empire reached its peak, spreading from the gates of Vienna in the west to the frontiers of Persia in the East.

Throughout the period of Ottoman rule, the Topkapi Palace remained the ruler's official home. Continually modified and reintrepreted by successive generations of rulers, it is no wonder it ended up so large and ornate.

Alas, only a small part of the original palace can now be appreciated, since many of the buildings were ravaged by fire and others have been demolished, although the original floor plan can still be discerned. It is built around a triple courtyard which integrates, segregates and defines the palace's residential, ceremonial and functional organisation.

One of the most fascinating areas is the famous Harem, or Seraglio, as it was known. The Sultan's many wives and concubines lived here, looked after by eunuchs. The very architecture itself exudes sexuality. Decorated with the finest Iznik tiles but designed with the usual austerity of Islamic architecture, the Harem must be visited on a special tour (buy tickets just by the entrance) and should not be missed.

The Tiled Pavilion, the oldest building in the palace, was built by Mehmet II. The walls are decorated with beautiful tiles of blue, green and turquoise, designed and executed in the Seljuk style. It houses the finest examples of Turkish ceramics from the 12th century to the present day.

Today, what remains of the palace is a museum. Some of the highlights include a Relics Chamber crammed with the Sultan's 17th-century tributes to Mecca, made of pure gold, and the Topkapi dagger inlaid with rubies and diamonds. There is also the Spoonmaker's Diamond, reputed to be the seventh-largest in the world, and a throne encrusted with jewels.