Little did we know – last day of warmth!! A day to our own devices and we/I had booked a couple of palace visits – in the morning to Topkapi (but the i is not pronounced) home to the Sultanate up to the mid 19thC. Top Kapi as in cannon gate.
Sunday and the roads were almost empty at 9am – putting our lives in the Istanbul taxi driver’s hands and for a paltry AUD8 fare we arrived in the streets behind the Sultan Ahmet (Blue) mosque and were brusquely told “up there”. Fortunately the mosques stick out like the proverbial and having frequented the ancient hippodrome in the previous two days, we felt like old hands at this caper – ha ha ha.
Found our guide, Hassam, and off we went with 6 other pax.
Past the historic hamam, still a hamam and somewhat more luxurious, and did I say, another view of Aya Sofia . . .
Orta Kapı – public not allowed, this is where the affairs of state were conducted by officials of the sultanate
On display some of the treasures of the Ottomans.
And into the harem, a hotbed (forgive the pun) of intrigue, sexual and family politics . . .
Just a few images of the magnificent tiles adorning various chambers – like Turkish rugs on the wall
And the ceilings
And out into the sunlight . . .
Into the 3rd and 4th courtyards . .
And at the end of the journey a view over the Sea of Marmara and the feeling that we only scratched the surface on this visit – needs a longer stay but, clearly, they want to move as many visitors as possible – we were fortunate to have made an early start – by the time we left the crowds were massing!
Fred’n’Sue’s Peregrinations 
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