Chronology
Time Line
The rise, reign, and transformation of Topkapi Palace throughout six centuries of Ottoman history.
1453
Conquest of Istanbul
Mehmed the Conqueror captures the city, ends the Byzantine Empire, and declares Istanbul the new Ottoman capital.
1460–1478
Construction of the New Palace
Mehmed the Conqueror orders the construction of the "New Palace" on the Eastern Roman acropolis at Sarayburnu.
1520–1566
Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
The palace experiences its golden age. The Harem is expanded and palace protocol reaches its most refined state.
1856
Westernization and Relocation
Sultan Abdülmecid moves the administrative center of the dynasty to the newly built Dolmabahçe Palace.
1924
The Republic's First Museum
By order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Topkapi Palace is opened to the public as the first museum of the young Republic of Turkey.