Topkapı Palace and Harem

Topkapı was the main residence and seat of government of the Ottoman sultans for about four centuries after the 1450s. The grounds run through a series of courtyards with kitchens, the Imperial Treasury, pavilions and the Harem, the private quarters of the sultan's family. Hagia Irene, an early Byzantine church, stands in the first courtyard. Allow most of a morning, more if you add the Harem.

What to look for

• The Imperial Treasury
• The Harem courtyards and tiled rooms
• Terraces over the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn
• Hagia Irene church in the first courtyard

Opening hours

Closed on Tuesdays, on 1 January and on the first day of Ramazan Bayramı. The ticket office runs from 09:00 to 17:00, and the official page gives no closing time for the grounds, so treat 17:00 as the last entry.

Source: Milli Saraylar (National Palaces), checked November 2, 2026

Tickets and booking

Adult ticket TRY 2,750. The combined ticket for the palace, the Harem and Hagia Irene is 2,750 TL for foreign visitors and is valid for one day. The Harem alone costs 1,050 TL and Hagia Irene alone 1,050 TL.

Tickets are sold on the National Palaces site and at the gate. A skip-the-line entry from a partner saves time in busy months. The Harem is a separate ticket.

Getting there

Take the T1 tram to Gülhane and walk up to the Imperial Gate on Babıhümayun Caddesi.

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Tip

Be at the gate at 09:00 and see the Harem first, before the tour groups arrive. Wear comfortable shoes, since the courtyards are long.