Topkapi Palace Palacio de Topkapi
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Topkapi Palace (Turkish: Topkap? Saray?, Ottoman Turkish : ) is a royal palace located in Istanbul, Turkey. It was the official residence and main residence of the Ottoman Sultans in the city from 1465 to 1853. Topkapi Palace was a venue for state ceremonies and royal entertainment in the past, and is now a major local tourist attraction. Topkapi Palace translates as "Cannon Gate". In the past, cannons were placed in the fortress, so it was named after it.
Sultan Mehmed II, who conquered Constantinople in the Byzantine Empire, ordered the construction of the Topkapi Palace in 1459. The palace consists of four courtyards and other small buildings. In the past, about 4,000 people lived in the palace. In the past, the palace covered a vast coastal area. Over the centuries, the palace was expanded and renovated, including after an earthquake in 1509 and a fire in 1665.
The importance of Topkapi Palace declined in the 17th century, when the sultans preferred new palaces near the Bosporus. In 1853, Sultan Abdel-Meguid I moved the palace to the newly built Tobamaqi Palace. The Palace of Count Duma was the first European-style palace in Istanbul. The imperial treasury, library, mosque and mint of Topkapi Palace are also preserved.
The Ottoman Empire fell in 1921. On April 3, 1924, Topkapi Palace was turned into a museum of the imperial era by government decree. Topkapi Palace Museum is managed by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The palace has a large number of rooms and halls, but today only the most important parts are open to the public. The palace is guarded by department staff and armed guards from the Turkish military. Topkapi Palace is a representative work of Ottoman architecture, containing a large number of porcelain, official uniforms, weapons, shields, armor, Ottoman miniature paintings, Islamic calligraphy manuscripts, murals and Ottoman jewelry treasures.
The Topkapi Palace and other nearby historical properties belong to the "Historic Area of ??Istanbul". The area became a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in 1985. The Topkapi Palace is described as "The example of the imperial palace during the Ottoman Empire."