Delight! The beauty and atmosphere are creepy. If you come to the opening, then there are no crowds. The audio guide is issued only with an identity card.
There are a lot of negative reviews, which was very surprising. After reading a lot before the visit, we decided to go anyway. And I will say sincerely - they did not regret it. Yes, it's not cheap, but I don't agree to say that there is nothing to watch. We took a museum card (360 lira) and did not regret it either (the queues are just huge). When visiting, the spirit of history is felt, we downloaded a good audio guide in Russian (there are excellent options where they do not load information and on average each location takes 2 minutes -we checked out and walked the entire palace in our rhythm). On the territory there are many museums and weapons, and kitchen utensils, cups, hookahs. Yes, there is not much decoration of the palace, not everything is open, but in general there is something to look at. Walls, architecture, logistics of the building itself. Those who love history will definitely appreciate it. There will be no "expensive-rich" at every step))
The building itself is grandiose and interesting, but as a museum it does not stand up to any criticism : (bare walls, rare sofas and that's it. No furniture or household items to somehow refresh the impression. Fantasize for yourself, in short. The harem is in the photo.
I visited this institution in July 2021. It was a discovery for me that they don't sell a separate ticket to topkapi, now the minimum price of 200 lira includes a visit to the complex itself plus an audio guide plus a visit to St. Irene's church, which simply has nothing to do. Well, we bought it for 200 lira, went through the turnstiles, went to the tent with an audio guide, and there was a surprise, they were given only with a passport as collateral. Money or valuables are not accepted as collateral. I asked them to take money from me for a 400 re remote control, but they yelled at me!!! First in Turkish, then in English. I had to run to the hotel to get my passports, the hotel was nearby. The mood was spoiled for several days. And they went to this institution only because of the treasury, which was closed for repairs. And there's nothing to do there without her. In general, be careful when visiting this place. I really regret that I did not take off the phone of the boor who yelled at me.
Tickets are expensive at two rubles per person. Most of the palace is closed for repairs. But it's worth going in. A great collection of weapons.
See original · Русский
3
Ольга Охрименко
Level 10 Local Expert
May 13, 2023
The subject of my review is an amazing place. Of course, we couldn't help but visit him on the first day of our stay in Istanbul. In its lifetime, Topkapi Palace has seen so many events that it's hard to even imagine! There were important historical decisions, intrigues, palace coups, and an endless succession of ruling sultans.
It is a very pleasant area, I recommend going in the morning, before the crowd of people.a visit to Goreme is not worth the money, it is very boring and small
A visit in January 2022 cost 275 lire per person, including a visit to the harem. Part of it is under reconstruction, but there is still something to see. It costs 200 lire without a harem, but it makes sense to take a harem. There is little luxury, but of course there is historical interest: pavilions, a library, living rooms and hamams can be viewed. An audio guide requires a passport as collateral, so keep this in mind, because it will be boring without it.