Hi everyone! Today we're here inside the Topkapi Palace and this time we'll be showing you around
what the Harem looks like. Remember that in this place is where the sultan, his concubines and his
family used to live in. So discover with us in this video what this place really looks like.
The Harem is situated inside the Topkapı Palace and is next to the Hagia Sophia.
The ticket for the palace is 100 turkish liras and for the harem is only 70 liras.
To enter to the Harem, the ticket to the palace must be purchased first.
If you buy the Museum Pass Istanbul both places are already included.
The harem is a place in which not everyone could freely enter. In the context of Ottoman Palaces
is where the dynasty privately lived and it was forbidden to the public.
Those who lived within its walls included the sultan, the queen mother, the sultan's mistresses,
his children, siblings, the concubines who served him and the black eunuchs who guarded the premises.
The sultans love to go out and join the crowds. These trips were like inspections of the public.
Residents should not know that the sultan left the palace.
So secretly the sultans were using this road to enter the city dressed up like dervishes or
merchants not to be recognized. It just reopened to the public on September 18 of 2020.
This is the area where the black eunuchs protected the palace and controlled
every entrance to the harem. The black eunuchs were in charge of protecting the women in the harem.
This is the apartment where the women whose sons ended up claiming the throne and earned
the title of Valide Sultan or Queen Mother which is the highest title in the Harem were living in.
These Baths were built by the imperial architect Sinan under the orders of Sultan Murat III in 1588
and have been restored in different centuries where also some areas were added to this complex.
It's located between the private chambers of Sultan Murat III and the baths. Was built
after 1585 by the architect Davut Aga and underwent many changes over the centuries.
It served as the Sultan's venue for ceremonies and audiences
and were the imperial household met for weddings, birth ceremonies and religious holidays.
Its dome is the largest one in all the Topkapi Palace.
It was commissioned by Sultan Murat III and was built by Mimar Sinan in 1579.
It's a magnificent example of late 16th century classical ottoman architecture.
This mosque was built in the 17th century as a prayer hall for the Sultan's mother, daughter, his
first consort and senior women of the Harem.
This is a narrow passage that the sultan used to pass
to the Harem. A legend says that the sultan will throw gold coins on the floor for the concubines.
This is the area where the princess and consorts of the sultan waited before entering the imperial hall.
The walls are decorated with Kütahya and İznik tiles from the 17th century.
The harem is a fascinating place. It has nearly 300 rooms, nine baths, two mosques and even one hospital.
Of course not every single area is open to public because some of them are even in
restoration but even then this place needs time to see it and be able to enjoy this
exquisite architecture. It was beautiful and hopefully you have enjoyed this video
See you next time. Bye bye.