Turkey > The Harem of the Topkapi Palace

The bathroom has something funny about it. It is separated from the room by a huge mirrored door. The door is mirrored on both sides. However, the lock of the bathroom door is on the outside. It seems that the door was installed backwards. Apart from that, there is nothing wrong with the shower. A nice warm stream of water. The breakfast buffet is ready in the basement. A variety of small Turkish dishes. I keep it simple and choose some bread, egg, cheese, and muesli. From the hotel, we walk to the Topkapi Palace. We booked tickets in advance to be sure that we could visit the palace. The group gathers in a café next to the entrance. Tönör guides us to the palace entrance. Because we reserved beforehand, we get priority at the entrance — so-called skip-the-line tickets. I doubt this was really necessary. There are no extreme lines at the ticket counter. Still, it feels good to have guaranteed entry to the palace. Tönör helps everyone at the entrance. Then we follow him to the Harem. The Harem is a special part of the palace where the sultan used to live with his wives. No one else had access to this area. Here too, Tönör helps scan the tickets. From here, we can explore the Harem and the palace on our own. Using an audio guide, we move from room to room. The Harem is a labyrinth of beautifully tiled rooms and corridors. The rooms are remarkably well preserved. After the conquest of Constantinople, Sultan Mehmet II had the Topkapi Palace built. The palace was completed in 1465. From then on, the palace was the seat of the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Sultan Murat III added the Harem to the palace in the sixteenth century.

Turkey - The entrance gate of the Topkapi Palace

We pass several rooms that belonged to the sultans. The Sultan’s room is the largest and perhaps the most beautiful room in the Harem. From the throne, the sultan could watch the entertainment in this room. How beautiful this is. Besides the Harem, the palace contains many other beautiful rooms. We visit the Pavilion of the Holy Mantle — an exhibition of Islamic holy relics. For Muslims, this is a pilgrimage site. We see several other pavilions. Each one is stunning. At noon, we decide that we have seen enough. We have visited the highlights of Topkapi Palace. At the palace entrance, it has become busy. Tourists walk everywhere. The line for the Hagia Sophia is hundreds of meters long. We want to visit this mosque tomorrow. On a terrace in the shade, we order something to drink. Today it is warm, 27 degrees Celsius. We are near the Basilica Cistern. In Byzantine times, in the sixth century, this underground reservoir was built to store water. We join the queue for the ticket counter. Fortunately, the line moves quite well. After twenty minutes, we buy two tickets for the cistern. Via stairs, we enter the underground space. Here it is clearly visible how enormous the reservoir is. The complex is supported by 360 pillars. The pillars are illuminated and reflect in the calm water.

Turkey - From the throne the sultan could watch the entertainment in the Harem

A special and beautiful sight. While walking over the footbridges, the color of the lighting regularly changes. Each time it creates a different effect. Outside again, we wander through the narrow streets. At a small restaurant, we order some food. I choose a Caesar salad for lunch. In the afternoon, we want to visit the Beyoglu district. We roam the streets. By always choosing the street that slopes the most downward, we should reach the water. Here lies the Galata Bridge. Just before the bridge stands the New Mosque. We saw the mosque beautifully lit last night. Now the imposing prayer house shines in the sunlight. The mosque is open for visits. Construction began in 1597 but stopped for several years. It was only completed in 1663. Beneath the large dome is the great prayer hall. The lighting hangs relatively low in the space. It is a beautiful prayer house. After the mosque, we cross the Galata Bridge. The bridge connects the Bazaar district with Beyoglu over the water of the Golden Horn, a tributary of the Bosporus. Under the bridge deck, there are small restaurants. As we walk past, everyone tries to attract us as customers. On the upper deck, dozens of fishermen stand in a row, all hoping for a good catch.

Turkey - In the Basilica Cistern drinking water was stored in the past

We think it would be nice to have a drink along the Bosporus shore. This proves more difficult than expected. The first part of the quay is under construction. Then follows a secured area. I suspect a military zone. Behind that lies the cruise terminal. There are terraces near the cruise terminal. We have to pass a security check to reach the boulevard. Fortunately, there is still a table free in the shade. Unfortunately, they do not sell beer here, only wine. The waiter checks at the nearby terrace and comes back enthusiastically saying there is a table free and they serve beer. One nice beer with a view of the Bosporus. A prominent point in the Beyoglu district is the Galatasaray Tower. The tower sits on a ridge. We slowly climb from the foot to the tower. When we arrive, it turns out admission costs thirty euros per person. We think that is very expensive for just a viewpoint. Although there is a long queue of people wanting to visit the tower, we descend again via the narrow streets. Beyoglu itself is cozy enough to wander through. We have walked a lot today.

Turkey - The Galata Tower from 528 AD was rebuilt in 1348 after destruction

We decide to take the metro back to the hotel. This saves us more than three kilometers. When we ask where the metro runs, it turns out the metro is actually the tram. We can check in with our credit cards, which is convenient. It is just past five o’clock and many people are traveling home. With a bit of pushing, we just fit in the tram. After five stops, we get off near the hotel. In the evening, we look for a place to eat near the hotel. At the end of the street, we arrive at Ertan’s Restaurant — on the first floor. We order traditional Testi Kebab. A dish prepared by the cook next to our table in a clay pot over an open fire. When the dish is ready, he breaks off the top of the pot and serves the food on a plate. Besides the fun presentation, it tastes delicious. Meanwhile, the waiter practices his German on us. Even after we tell him we are from the Netherlands, German remains his preferred language.