Topkapi Palace was built under the rule of Sultan Mehmed II to serve as the primary residence of the Ottoman Sultans; the palace served this purpose from 1465 to 1856. Occupying 173 acres, the enclosed palace was, at its height, a small city where thousands lived and worked among the grounds and gardens. Topkapi Palace served as the empire's administration center and the royal family residence.
After his conquest of Constantinople in 1453, Sultan Mehmed II chose Seraglio Point, where the old Byzantine acropolis and ancient Greek city of Byzantion were situated, as the site to build his new Ottoman palace. Construction of Topkapi Palace began in 1459. The palace overlooked the Sea of Marmara, the Golden Horn and the city of Bosphorus.
Since 1924, the most important areas of the palace have served as a museum honoring the imperial era of the Ottoman Empire. Exquisite examples of Ottoman miniatures, treasure and royal collections, as well as some of the Muslim world's most holy relics, including the Prophet Muhammad's sword and cloak, can be seen at Topkapi Palace.
