The mighty gate that rises from the old quarter of Istanbul is the entrance to a fascinating and astonishing world, the Serail Of Topkapi. The former Osmanic centre of power is a small town in itself with numerous wonderfully decorated buildings and an idyllic park.

The Topkapi Palace consists of a large complex of administrative buildings as well as those reserved for the royal families, including the Harem. The incredible wealth of the Osmanic Sultans is omnipresent, while precious calligraphy and beautiful tiles decorate the facades and interior rooms of the palace. A thousand concubines lived in the Topkapi Harem and eight hundred eunuchs guarded it.

Various holy relics that belonged to the prophet Mohammed were seized during a war with Egypt and they are one of Topkapi’s major attractions.