Archeology Museum and Topkapi Palace

Trip Start May 09, 2010

Trip End Ongoing

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Flag of Turkey Topkapi Sarayi, Istanbul Province, Turkey
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Today my plan was to visit Topkapi Palace but I inadvertently entered the Archeology museum by mistake. Having paid my money, I had a good look around but it was absolutely enormous and it had so many exhibits that I have to admit to feeling quite mind blown. I am sure some people can sit and absorb these sort of things and spend all day doing so but I get quite bamboozled by all the different civilizations and countries that are mentioned as all the names are different today. The museum is actually in the outer gardens of the Topkapi Palace which is why I got confused. It is famous for the Alexander Sarcophagus once believed to have been prepared for Alexander the Great which was found in the Necropolis of Sidon (see what I mean?). The thing that got me was the trays and trays of broken pottery, all numbered, which were still to be sorted.

I finally found Topkapi Palace which was the official residence of the Ottoman Sultans for 400 years

Archeology Museum

. It was a setting for state occasions and royal entertainments and the Sultan's Harem lived here in their own state building. The palace is now a museum and contains the most holy relics of the Muslim world such as the prophet Muhammed's cloak and sword.Hence the 5 armed guards I saw at the gate! (There were probably more that I couldn't see). It also exhibits the sultan's fantastic collection of jewels and costumes.

Initial construction began in 1459 but it was built on top of the ancient Greek city of Byzantion and there still remains an underground Byzantine cistern which has been partly excavated. So we see one civilization building on top of the next civilization....

The palace consists of four main courtyards and many smaller buildings. At the height of its existence as a royal residence, the palace was home to as many as 4,000 people.

There were crowds and crowds of people here (including school outings) and it was hard to get a look at the jewellery and costume exhibits. The Harem was more interesting and less crowded as you had to pay again to get in here. The opulence and workmanship in every nook and cranny was extraordinary

Archeology Museum - The Alexander Sarcophagus

.

Well, as you can imagine, I was exhausted after all this walking and brain exercise so I came back to the hotel and crashed. I think I am now officially museumed out!!!

Thank you everyone for your feedback about my blog. I hope I am not boring anyone - please feel free to mark me as junk email if you want or ask me to take you off my list. It is lovely to get your comments and emails. Particularly as I am feeling quite cut off from the world because, although they have satellite tv in the hotel and a choice of maybe 10-12 programs, not one of them is an English news program. They have many English speaking tourists to stay so you would think they would get NBC/ Fox News/ BBC/ Al Jazheera or something! The news stands only have Turkish papers. I did find one paper in English but it was published in Turkey and it had only parochial news in it so not worth searching for.

Slideshow

Post your own travel photos for friends and family More Pictures

Archeology Museum - Bes - an Egyptian semi-god	Archeology Museum - tile inlay	Archeology Museum - window detail	Archeology Museum - fragments of pots
Archeology Museum - fragments still to be sorted	Topkapi Palace - Gate of Salutation	Topkapi Palace - people everywhere	Topkapi Palace - Gate to the Imperial Council
Topkapi Palace - Entrance to the Inner Court	Topkapi Palace - Painting detail	Topkapi Palace - - grounds	Topkapi Palace - Courtyard of the Eunuchs
Topkapi Palace - Hall of the ablution fountain	Topkapi Palace - Apartment of the Queen Mother	Topkapi Palace - Official Reception Hall	Topkapi Palace - Sultan's room
Topkapi Palace - Sultan's room roof detail	Topkapi Palace - Sultan's room inlaid doors	Topkapi Palace -The view	Topkapi Palace - Bysantine Cystern part excavated
Topkapi Palace -The Sultan's cat?

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Comments

Sarah on

I'm loving your travelog Caroline - your commentary brings it all back and your photos are stunning... I feel a book coming on at the end of your adventure!
Best love
Sarah

Margot Riou on

Hi Caroline - can't help thinking that it's just as well you didn't leave any earlier, as you would have been in a wheelchair by now with a sore foot!
All that walking! OMG you you send a nice card to your dog for taking you on so many walks before you left.
All is well here, the rain has started at last. Jody has had her back operation and we're trying to make her rest more. Robyn has settled in and Fran has her driver's license and is now officially mobile. I am working my way through my "tests" with the last one next Wednesday. After that I should know whether I'm officially healthy or not.
Your blog is a huge success and we are enjoying accompanying you every step of the way without actually moving!. Much love, my dear.
Margot.

iiluke@hotmail.com on

Hi Caroline
Have just got the hang of this travelPod. How fabulous! Have loved all your "mail" and the photos are great. Please keep it up. I feel like I'm travelling with you.
Ingrid x

carofoley on

Hi Ingrid
Nice to hear from you and glad that you are enjoying the blog. It can be quite hard in some of the places to get onto the internet and post it all but it is good for me at the same time as it gives me a running diary of what I am doing.