Topkapi Palace Museum, Fatih: Photos, Reviews & Location

Huge, opulent 15th-century palace, occupied by sultans for 400 years, housing Ottoman treasures.

At a glance

#6 of 36 Tourist attractions in Fatih #2 of 11 Museums in Fatih

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.70

1.0 km from the center of Fatih

Rating breakdown

5 ★78%
4 ★14%
3 ★5%
2 ★1%
1 ★2%

What reviewers talk about

Share of 15 recent reviews that mention each topic.

Waiting & crowds27%
View13%
Price & value13%
Service & staff13%
Cleanliness7%

Cankurtaran, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye

millisaraylar.gov.tr

+90 212 512 04 80

Photos of Topkapi Palace Museum (838)

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Quick facts

What is the rating of Topkapi Palace Museum?: Topkapi Palace Museum is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 176,473 reviews.
How does Topkapi Palace Museum rank in Fatih?: Topkapi Palace Museum is #6 of 36 Tourist attractions in Fatih by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Topkapi Palace Museum located?: Cankurtaran, 34122 Fatih/İstanbul, Türkiye — 1.0 km from the center of Fatih.
What do visitors mention most about Topkapi Palace Museum?: Most often: waiting & crowds, view, price & value (from 15 recent reviews).
How can I contact Topkapi Palace Museum?: Phone: +90 212 512 04 80 · Website: millisaraylar.gov.tr

Beautiful place to visit and to learn about the history of the sultans living here. This trip can take up to 3 hours. Be aware that for visiting the ancient brothel you will have to pay extra. If you are into history and culture. Its a must see! Please not that on hot days you best bring a bottle of water with you.

Nuha Diab 2023 Sep 13

The place is great for tourist. But needs to be more digitally. There is no online ticket purchase where we used to wait too long to purchase our ticket. The translation recorded was not working effectively. Even you need to stop another line waiting to take the recorded translation device.
Inside they work on it very well👍

dion suhardiono 2023 Sep 10

This palace is very tidy, clean, and tourist friendly. I got my goosebumps when I saw the museum collections.

The museum is gigantic, as used to be ottoman's palace. If you are planning to see the collections thoroughly, it will be not enough for a half day tour.

SACHA 2023 Sep 10

This place is amazing, entrance fee is quite expensive (30€) but you have access to the audio guide with it.
I can only recommend to come at the opening before all the tourists groups arrives because you have to go in small corridors and it’s better if you are alone !

Pippa Alldritt 2023 Sep 09

September 2023 - 950 lira for the whole site including the Harem.
Overrun by large groups of cruise ship tourists docked for the day causing extensive waiting in very long queues.

Once inside there isn’t much seating and it’s not very wheel chair friendly. Also it’s impossible to find toilets, refreshments or adequate seating.

Take your time and don’t bother stressing over the many people jostling and pushing. There is so much to take in and it is a really beautiful place with a great collection.

The detail and workmanship in the walls, floors, furnishings and views deserve your attention and time.

Ashlyn Mathews 2023 Sep 08

The condition that the palace is looked after is very impressive. The architecture and all the items on display are very beautiful. Costs 750 lira or 950 lira ( with access to the Harem). Honestly such a nice place to visit and would require way over 2 hours to see everything, so come early. A free audiotour is available but seems a bit basic.

Adel Alawiyat 2023 Aug 16

Great place to visit to learn about the 660+ years of Ottoman history. Try to buy the tickets online to avoid the line. Try to come early in the morning to avoid the rush. You’ll need between 3-4 hours to go through the different palaces and the buildings. Tuesdays are the busiest.

nico beldack 2023 Aug 15

Interesting exhibition, peaceful gardens with a great view of the city and the Bosporus. Cheap tickets with free audio guides, available stands to buy drinks inside. Additional fee to visit the harem. Suitable for a family visit, one of Istanbul's richest cultural monuments, not to miss. A thorough visit takes a whole afternoon, easily accessible as it is in the town's epicenter.

Hasib Ahmed 2023 Aug 14

Great musuem, would highly recommend the tour of the palace as it only takes about an hour and you learn a lot of history. The tour I went on didn't go into each individual museum of the palace but gave us a history around the palace itself and how life was like there. Great collection of artefacts in the various museums

Yaseen Theba 2023 Aug 07

Had an incredible visit to Topkapi Palace! It truly took my breath away to step into this magnificent architectural masterpiece and delve into the rich history it holds. The beauty and grandeur of the palace surpassed all my expectations.

Alua Suleimanova 2023 Aug 01

Awesome please, but a lot of tourists. Recommend to go in the early morning. The entrance was 750TL + 200TL visiting harem. I enjoyed free audio guides, they assisted on the way and helped to understand the history.

Deming 2023 Jul 21

Huge palace, prepare at least half a day to finish touring it. The place is pretty and well maintained, but very crowded.

It's a pity that the exhibitions did not have much information provided so you will appreciate it much better with a guide.

Lee Churm 2023 Jul 11

It was a really fascinating insight into the lives of the former Sultan rulers of the Ottoman Empire. There is a lot here, and with the buildings being built around 4 courtyards, it makes for a long visit. I'd recommend putting a good 3 hours aside for you to be able to absorb the very many rooms.

Muhammad Anees 2023 Jul 06

One of the best places to visit in istanbul. You will need at least 4-5 hours to properly visit this place. The history is well preserved. Islamic relics section is mind blowing with such a rare, historic and significant collection. Highly recommended.

Mohammad Kalantari 2023 May 19

A must to do!!! A beautiful imperial complex surrounded by Bosporus Strait. It served as the administrative center of the Ottoman Empire and the main residence of its sultans for around 400 years. Spot 2-3 hours to fully explore the beauty of Ottoman architecture, history, and culture. But ticket in advance and plan to do it on weekdays to avoid crowd. Highly recommended!!!