Topkapı Palace had been the head palace of Ottoman Empire around for 500 years. It was built in 1460’s firstly. It was constructed on the hill which dominates the all straits and can see the continents Europe and Asia.

The history of this hill is dated back to Roman Empire age. Roman Emperors knew that it was a junction point of the world. So they built palaces on this hill. As we know that there used to be one of the biggest palaces of ancient era; Megalo Palacio. It was a mega palace. It was so huge that it covered up whole peninsula. Even today we can see the remain of this mega palace on the square of old town.

When the city was conquered by Ottomans, Sultan Mehmed II had a temporary palace constructed on Beyazıt district of Istanbul (there is an university on this site at present). Then he decided have a great palace built and he chose the hill that was chosen by Roman Emperors. So Topkapı Palace was being constructed on the mega palace of Byzantines.

Every sultan of Ottoman Empire added extra buildings to this palace complex so it got wider in the time.

That’s why we come across traces of Roman and Byzantine era while excavating Topkapı Palace complex. It had been reconstructed for many times, even the original baths that were dated back to 1460’s were unearthed.

The archeaologists are still unearthing the Roman and Byzantine traces during the excavations and reconstructions.

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