The last tourist attraction we were able to fit in during our short stay was the Topkapi Palace, which was the primary residence for the Ottoman Sultans for about 400 years. Today, it is a museum and houses some of the most important holy relics of the Muslim faith.
The place was packed by the time we got there mid afternoon so it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. Still, we saw some interesting exhibits and the grounds are beautiful. Here are some of our favorite pics.
Another Turkish tour guide cat - this one seems to be on break.
To give you a sense of the crowds that afternoon.
Pretend Sultan with a pretend sword pretending to behead one of the tourists. You could pay to have this photo taken with the fake Sultan - we passed and I took this one instead.
This is a gold plated window screen typical of those used all over the palace. Looks like something out of Disney's Aladdin, doesn't it?
The entrance to one of the exhibits - most of them didn't allow photography inside. We saw jewels, the prophet Mohammed's sword and cloak, an amazing collection of ancient clocks, coins from all different eras ...
One of the amazing views of the Bospohorus River from the palace grounds.
A glimpse of a baby Sultan in training. We saw a few kids dressed up like Ottoman Sultans and you could buy the costumes at many of the tourist shops. They were very cute.
Another stellar view of the city across the river.
The place was packed by the time we got there mid afternoon so it wasn't as enjoyable as it could have been. Still, we saw some interesting exhibits and the grounds are beautiful. Here are some of our favorite pics.
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