Topkapı Sarayı Audio Guide
Explore Topkapı Sarayı with Stanza's guided offline audio tour.
About the Tour
Topkapı Palace is a large museum in Istanbul, Turkey. It served as the primary residence and administrative headquarters of the Ottoman sultans for nearly 400 years.
What you will hear
Babüsselam
Also known as the Gate of Salutation, this is the grand entrance to the Second Courtyard where only the Sultan was permitted to enter on horseback.
Babüsselam
The Gate of Salutation marks a significant boundary where strict palace protocol dictated that everyone—save for the Sultan—must dismount and enter on foot.
Imperial Council Hall
The political heart of the empire where the Grand Vizier and the Divan met to discuss state affairs.
Imperial Council Hall
Step into the political heart of the empire, where the Sultan’s ministers met under a secret window that allowed the ruler to listen in undetected.
Tower of Justice
The tallest structure in the palace, symbolizing the Sultan's vigilance and the reach of his justice over the city.
Tower of Justice
Rising above the palace, the Tower of Justice served as a visible symbol of the Sultan’s constant vigilance over his people and his lands.
Kafes
The 'Cage' or Twin Kiosk, where the crown princes were kept in seclusion to prevent succession disputes.
Kafes
This secluded building, known as the 'Cage,' housed crown princes in gilded isolation to prevent the bloody succession wars that once plagued the empire.
Gate of Felicity
The entrance to the Third Courtyard, marking the threshold to the Sultan's private residence.
Gate of Felicity
The Gate of Felicity stands as the ceremonial threshold to the Sultan's private world, featuring an elegant 18th-century Rococo canopy.
Want to hear the rest?
Download the Stanza app to unlock all 32 stops and the complete guided audio tour.