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Sultans, Sofas and Splendor



Ten pieces of Turkish Delight down and counting ...

This is how we're ending each day in Turkey. Lucky for me, there's two strategically located Turkish Delight shops on the way back to the hotel. So far, we've tried ginger, rose water, orange, lime, special pomegranate (with nuts) as well as baklava and a pistachio treat similar to baklava. The ginger ones are my favorite, while Kirk prefers the pomegranate ones.

The Turkish Delights were just the snack we needed after a day of touring the massive and beautiful Topkapi Palace. Once inside the layers of courtyards, we entered into the secret world of the Ottoman Sultans who roamed these magnificently tiled halls. We even got a glimpse into the life of their many concubines who lived there.

Tile me pretty!


You could spend an entire day in Topkapi palace, especially during the off-season. We arrived at the palace by 11 a.m. and stayed until about 3:30 p.m., plenty of time for touring the entire palace. Thanks to the e-tickets we purchased online, we didn't have to wait in line. We bypassed the ticket booth madness and we were whisked right inside the second courtyard at the Gate of Salutation--the gate that looks like a medieval castle. 

We toured the many buildings, courtyards, the Harem (well worth the extra ticket), the treasury and the sultan's reception hall to name a few. Most everything is lavishly decorated in Turkish tiles, especially the Harem (where the sultan, his mother, various concubines and servants lived). 

The interiors of the buildings are tiled with some of the rarest tiles in Turkey. It is unlike anything we've seen elsewhere. The many small buildings throughout, known as pavilions or kiosks, featured elaborate stained glass windows, ornate ceilings, walls with built-in shelving and secret doors decorated with mother of pearl. There are even special built-in areas for fancy turban storage.  

6 things we learned at Topkapi Palace


- The Turks invented the sofa (at least that's what we think). Sofas are all over the palace and Harem. They look almost exactly like basic versions out on the market today.

Look familiar? These sofas existed well before IKEA.
- The private apartments inside the Harem are some of the most beautiful in the palace. They are literally covered in Turkish tiles with awe-inspiring domes and ceilings.

- The sultan's bedroom is outfitted with not one, but TWO enormous beds that could fit at least 10 people in each. Interesting ...

- Moses' staff is on display here. Kirk doubts its authenticity, though.

- There's an impressive dagger in the treasury sporting three huge emeralds. Apparently the guy who was supposed to receive it from the sultan as a gift died before he could accept. Bummer.

- There's an entire room dedicated to circumcision. It is outfitted with some interesting water fountains in all of the windows.

Halfway through the day, we stopped for a brief over-priced meal with a spectacular view inside the palace complex. At the Mecidiye Pavilion self-service cafe, we spent a whopping 23 Turkish Lira for each chicken kabob sandwich (that's equivalent to nearly $11.50 for what is basically a po'boy). And of course, Kirk had to have a Coke to drink. (It was 12 Turkish Lira--that's a $6 Coke!) We did eventually calm down from losing all that cash when we sat down to an amazing view of the Bosphorus, easily enjoyed from the comfort of our table. We could see both the European side of Turkey and the Asian side of Turkey. Ferries went by, huge barges slowly passed and seagulls soared.

The Gate of Salutation leads into the second courtyard.
An even better view is from the terrace outside the Baghdad Pavilion. You can see several mosques in the distance, which makes for a great Kodak moment of Istanbul's skyline!

If you want the pretty view of the Bosphorus without the over-priced sandwich, stand on the top level of the Mecidiye Pavilion overlooking the restaurant below. There's also a pretty view of Istanbul from one of the inner courtyards of the Harem.

A view of Istanbul's old city from the Baghdad Kiosk features two mosques with their tall, pointed minarets



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