Topkapi Palace

Topkapi Palace

Introduction: Topkapi Palace was the imperial palace of the Ottoman Empire. There is a massive artillery battery outside its main gate, which is why locals call it “Topkapi Palace,” meaning “Cannon Gate Palace.” This museum and its handicraft exhibits are well worth visiting. Around five thousand people visit each day, and the annual number of visitors reaches two million five hundred thousand, making it one of the most visited museums in Europe and one of Istanbul’s most important historical landmarks. Today, Topkapi Palace houses a collection of over twelve thousand pieces of porcelain, with a quarter on display for visitors—making it the third-largest porcelain collection in the world after those of China and Germany. The palace regularly exhibits rare Chinese porcelain, as well as pieces from Japan, Germany, and Poland.

Istanbul, Turkey