Head to the palace, which is located at Gulhane Park, near Sultanahmet Square, between the Hagia Sophia and the confluence of the Golden Horn, Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara on the Seraglio Peninsula, proceed through the Imperial Gate in the First Courtyard and buy a ticket at the ticket office. Separate tickets are needed to see the Treasury and Harem, and you have to get tickets for the Harem at the Harem entrance. The palace is open Wednesday to Monday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Most of the buildings from the time Topkapi was occupied have disappeared from the First Courtyard, with the exception of the Hagia Irene church and Royal Mint, but the Archaeology Museum and Museum of the Ancient Orient are well worth your time. The First Courtyard was used chiefly as a parade ground.
Go through the Gate of Salutation into the Second Courtyard. The palace consists of four courtyards, each more private than the last, and is laid out on a northeast/southwest axis. To your lower left, in the southwest corner of the Second Courtyard, is the Gate of the Dead, through which dead bodies were carried. To the upper left is the Carriage Gate, and beyond that to the north, the Imperial Stables. To your upper left is the Divan, the three rooms where the Sultan's ministers met in Imperial Council. Beyond this is the Inner Treasury, where weaponry and armor are now displayed. The 10 palace kitchens, on the right side of the Second Courtyard, showcase silver, porcelain, celadon and kitchen utensils.
Proceed through the Gate of Felicity into the Third Courtyard. Directly ahead is the Throne Room, and beyond it, the Library of Ahmed III, which contains works of Islamic theology and jurisprudence. To the left is the Aviary Gate, the Mosque of the Ağas and the Apartment of Felicity, which houses such sacred Islamic relics such as Prophet Muhammad's mantle, battle flag, sword, hairs from his beard and an early manuscript of the Qur'an. Off to the right of the Third Courtyard is the Conqueror’s Pavilion--originally a training hall for Imperial pages, but now a costume museum. Nearby is the Imperial Treasury, which houses artwork, flashy gifts, elaborate pieces of Ottoman handiwork, jewelry and plunder captured in battle. In the former dormitory for pages is the Miniature and Portrait Gallery.
Continue on to the Fourth Courtyard. Working clockwise you'll see the Circumcision Room for princes of the Imperial House, a terrace, the Baghdad Kiosk, Sofa Kosku and off to the far right, in the Abdul Mecit Pavilion, the famed Konyalı Restaurant.
Retrace your steps and go back to the Second Courtyard and through the Carriage Gate to the main entrance of the Harem. Very little of the Harem is open to the public. Pass the dormitory of the Black Eunuchs and go down the Golden Way. Off to the right is the Aviary Gate, while to the left are the quarters of female servants. See the Courtyard and Apartments of the Queen Mother and the Baths of the Sultan and the Queen Mother. In the far north corner are the Imperial Chamber, the Chambers of Murat III, Ahmed I and Ahmend III, the Apartments of the Imperial Princes and the Courtyard of the Favorites.
