Topkapi Palace was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, the building built on an area of 700,000 square meters was completed in 1478 and took 18 years to build. Topkapi Palace, which was not built with all its additional structures at once, has expanded with the structures added until the 19th century.
The administrative, educational and art center of the empire for nearly four hundred years, from Fatih Sultan Mehmet to Sultan Abdulmecid; it has also been the home of sultans. Since the 19th century, dolmabahce palace has been used and Topkapi Palace has been evacuated. Topkapi Palace, which was turned into a museum on April 3, 1924, is one of the largest palace-museums in the world with approximately 300,000 archive documents.
The walls surrounding Topkapi Palace (called Sur-u Sultani) together consist of 3 main gates and 4 courtyards, harems and hasbahce.
The front door of the palace (Babu humine) was built by Fatih Sultan Mehmet. The front door was repaired during the reign of Sultan Mahmoud II and Sulta Abdulaziz. Sultan Mahmoud II is at the front of the door and Sulta Abdulaziz tugra on the back.
When entered through the front door of the palace, the front garden, which was also open to the public during the Ottoman period, is welcomed. In the front garden there is an Eastern Roman church, the Church of the Moon, the outpost building, the Ruins of the Episcopal Palace and a cistern. The Aya Irini church was used as a weapons store during the Ottoman period.
After the end of the front garden, we are greeted by the central gate (Bâbüsselâm), which is the main gate of the palace.