Comments on: 7 Towers and Topkapi Palace

By: Jarred Norton

Jarred Norton — Mon, 08 Jul 2013 10:02:15 +0000

We are almost in Grand Bazaar. After many earthquakes, fires and repairs there are 2 restaurants, 4399 stores, 2195 rooms, 495 closets, 12 exchanges offices, 1 mosque, 10 mescids, 1 hammam Turkish bath, 19 fountains, 8 wells, 24 malls, 1 school and one tomb, in a 47000 m2 area. These days not all of these stand of course. Sandal Bedesten (Sandal Bazaar) and Cevahir Bedesten are the first buildings of the grand bazaar to be completed by Mehmet the conqueror. An eagle relief on one of the four gates of Cevahir Bedesten brings to minds that this might be made during Byzantine times, yet it makes more sense that it was constructed in Ottoman times and a stone from Byzantine era was used on the gate. As it is a closed building and it is locked at nights and on Sundays it was most preferred by valuable goods traders. However it was a place where everything was purchased and sold. It’s streets were divided into sections and this can still be noticed today in the street names.

By: Lea Z. Aguirre

Lea Z. Aguirre — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 11:41:53 +0000

The place of imprisonment of many foreign ambassadors and Ottoman statesman, in addition to a place of execution for some, the fortress was last used as a prison in 1831. It than became a dwelling for the lions of Topkapi Palace, and later a gunpowder manufacturing place. Today, the fortress is a museum which is also hosting open air concerts in the inner courtyard during the summer season.

By: Lynn

Lynn — Tue, 28 May 2013 15:16:00 +0000

Hi Rosella,
Thanks for your additional information … I love knowing this detail! We will have to visit the harem the next time we visit.
Lynn

By: Rosella Workman

Rosella Workman — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:35:24 +0000

Topkapi scholars do not know which furnishings fit which rooms of the palace, but the array of carpets and curtains and bedding and cushion covers and tiles in the exhibition offer a hint of the sumptuous life within the mysterious harem. Some featured carpets are known as Lotto and Holbein carpets because carpets with similar patterns appeared in the paintings of Lorenzo Lotto and Hans Holbein the Younger during the 16th century.