Day 3 in Istanbul... It was a beautiful morning with plenty of sunshine and in fact pretty warm enough to remove my winter jacket...
Topkapi palace used to be the official residence for Ottoman sultans for almost 400 years though today is mainly just a prime tourist attraction.
The compound of Topkapi is huge, so huge that it is at par with the entrance fee and another surcharge if one wants to visit the Harem (I didn't)...
Approaching the Topkapi Palace is a Byzantine church of Hagia Eirene
Walking toward the palace, the Gate of Salutation behind me...
At the fourth court, there are some neglected ruins scattered around the compound
The view of Galata Tower from Topkapi
Remaining city wall
The view from the restaurant
Approaching fourth courtyard
Awesome patterned tile roof
Dom tile in Circumcision room
Circumcision room
The Ottoman is very good in reusing the old marble from the Byzantine era and used them to pave the walk way.... If you look carefully, these materials could be a column or a beautiful statue but sadly they are now under the feet of the tourists who stepped on them and some tourists probably won't know that they have stepped on the history of a great dynasty...
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