Divan Square News Today

Did you know that Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul encompasses four distinct courtyards, each revealing unique aspects of Ottoman history?

History About 30 sultans ruled from the Topkapı Palace for nearly four centuries during the Ottoman Empire’s 600-year reign, beginning with Mehmed II. He ordered the construction of the palace in the late 1450s, several years after conquering Constantinople (Istanbul), the capital of the Byzantine Empire, in 1453. Medmed took up residence in 1478, and after his death three years later, successive sultans renovated and expanded the palace frequently, resulting in the palace’s medley of chan...