Istanbul Topkapi Palace Guided Tour

Thanks to this reservation, you will be able to visit the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul on a guided tour and avoid the queues. With these priority passes, you won't have to wait long to access one of the most visited monuments in the Turkish city. A professional guide will accompany you during this activity which lasts about an hour.

The Topkapi Palace symbolises the power of Constantinople during the Ottoman Empire, one of the three largest empires in history, until the mid-19th century. Construction of the palace began shortly after Mehmed II took Constantinople.

The initial palace was inaugurated in 1465, and in the following decades it was extended several times by the various rulers.

Covering more than 700,000 square metres, the palace has four courtyards and several different buildings inside, such as an armoury, kitchens, royal stables, treasury, which you can enter. In fact, the Treasury is one of the most important areas of the palace that you can visit on this tour.

It houses some of the most valuable objects in the world, such as the Diamond of the Cutler (an 88-carat diamond that belonged to Napoleon's mother) or the Topkapi dagger, the most expensive weapon in the world.

Another of the most important areas of this palace, to which you do not have access with this reservation, is the harem. If you decide to visit it, you will have to buy a specific ticket.

According to popular belief, the harem was a place where the sultan could "free himself" at will. In reality, it was the imperial family's quarters, and every detail of life in the harem was governed by tradition, obligation and ceremony. The word 'harem' literally means 'forbidden' or 'private'.