Standing on the site of the great Acropolis of Byzantium, isolated from the rest of the city behind huge defensive walls strecthing from the Golden Horn to the Sea of Marmara, the great palace of Topkapi (not to be confused with the large and scary old bus station of the same name) formed the administrative heart and seat of government of one of the most powerful empires the world has ever known. The interest it holds for visitors now is not just to do with the place itself, the amalgam of buildings sponsored the the various Sultans, but with the collections that are housed in its acres of courtyards and gardens. If you spend less than a full day here then you wont be doing it justice. Depending on your interests you could return a couple of times during a week and find something to delight with each tour.

As with most of Istanbul's major sites, finding the place is dead easy. If you wander around a bit and follow everybody else you can't really miss it.

One of most peoples' priorities is the Harem, you can only tour the place as part of a group and for an extra cost. In the summer this can be fairly frantic and it's likely that you'll be hurried along and probably feel that you've been a little cheated. Stick close to the guide and ask questions and maybe it wont be to bad.. In the winter the tour is a real pleasure as you can take your time a little bit. I'm particularly fond of the swimming pool.

The collections are also worth spending some time on. The porcelain is very impressive and the jewelry, although perhaps slightly over the top, does boggle the mind. I'm interested in canvassing opion as to the genuinesness or otherwise of all those pigeon egg size rough emeralds. Anyone out there know enough to say for sure?

Suffice it to say that Topkapi does make a great day out and is best tackled with some idea of the layout and your own priorities. We'll be bringing you a little more information on the place as the season approaches.