A visit should begin early on the first day at the most extensive and fascinating monument of Ottoman architecture, Topkapi Palace. Between 1459 and 1465, Sultan Mehmet II built Topkapi as his principal residence and the seat of government on a hilly promontory where the Bosporus joins the Sea of Marmara. As succeeding sultans added their own flourishes, the complex grew to cover 173 acres. Not a palace in the European sense, Topkapi is a compound of gardens, workshops, government offices, courtyards and residences distributed among four courts. Spread among them are myriad treasures, including paintings, miniatures, armor, swords, jewelry, manuscripts and one of the world's finest collections of porcelain.
Many rooms contain gorgeous tiles and most buildings have been restored to perfection.
The palace would reward a full day, but, with an early start, its many splendors can be sampled in three hours. The best way to get a sense of Topkapi on your own is to head for the northwest corner of the second court and buy a ticket for the harem tour, which starts every half hour. While waiting, visit the imperial council chambers, where the viziers held session with the sultan observing covertly from a screened window on the second floor. Among the fascinating places are the sultan's luxurious private bath and the chambers of the sultan's mother, who ruled the harem and sometimes the empire. A short stroll away, within the Topkapi compound, stands a sometimes overlooked treasure, the Archeological Museum.