Topkapi Palace is in Sarayburnu in Istanbul. It was the residential palace of the Ottoman Sultans from Mehmed II to Abdulmecid, it was erected on the first hill of the city called Zeytinlik. Topkapi Palace covers 700,000 m² area, there are summer-houses, villas, government offices, dormitories for servants and officers, mosques, libraries and a big kitchen in the palace. The last villa built is, Abdulmecid’s Mecidiye summer-house in European style. The name Topkapi (cannon door) comes from the cannons in front of it.

Only two of the villas located in the palace are remained until today. One of them is Sircasaray (Glass palace) built in 1472, other is Alay Villa on the rampart and was built for Sultan Mahmoud II.

The first courtyard of the Topkapi Palace is called the Alay and was transformed in to a museum by the decision of the parliament after the declaration of the republic in April 3,1924. The gate of the Alay has two towers and it is called Babusselam,. It was most probably built during the period of Mehmed the Conqueror. The towers were changed in Suleyman the Magnificent’s reign, and a porch with large eaves inside was made in the reign of Sultan Mustafa III. The palace’s main borders starts with the second courtyard. On the right of the second courtyard there are Dolap stoves, the kitchens built by Architect Sinan (Mimar Sinan), the cooks’ dormitory, cooks’ hamam (Turkish bath), cooks’ mosque, stewards’ office and Yaghane (oil-mill). At the end of the porches on the left of the courtyard there is the two towered office named as Kubbealti where the government was managed and the meetings were made by the viziers ,with heading of the Grand Vizier. This place was built in Suleyman the Magnificent’s reign. A high tower is placed behind the Kubbealti. The gate at the end of the second courtyard opens to the third courtyard called as Enderun. The door was built in the reign of Sultan Selim III and at both sides of the door there are Aga rooms and Akagalar dormitory. In the third courtyard, there is Arz Room (representation room) which was built in Mehmed the Conqueror’s reign and inside decorations and doors were restored in the 19^th century. Arz Room was used for acceptance of ambassadors and viziers. Enderun Library was the largest library of palace. In the third courtyard there are Enderun School,  Seferli Dormitory, Treasure office, a bath, Silahdar Treasure and Hırka-i Saadet Room. On the left side of the courtyard vaulted Agalar mosque is located. At Marmara side of the fourth courtyard there is Cadir Villa that is on the cellar of another villa, it was remained from Mehmed the Conqueror’s period.

Behind the fourth courtyard the Harem is located. Harem was restored and restructured by every sovereign for 400 years. Today, the structure is formed of 250 rooms, many baths, and courtyards located between those.

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