TOPKAPI MUSEUM
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Chronology

Timeline

The rise, reign, and transformation of Topkapi Palace across six centuries of Ottoman history.

1453–1924
Imperial Era
Conquest of Constantinople
1453

Conquest of Constantinople

Sultan Mehmed II conquers the city, ending the Byzantine Empire and declaring Constantinople the new Ottoman capital.

Construction of Topkapi
1459

Construction of Topkapi

Mehmed II orders the construction of the "New Palace" (Saray-ı Cedid) on the Seraglio Point.

Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent
1520–1566

Reign of Suleiman the Magnificent

The Golden Age of the empire. Extensive renovations and expansions of the Harem are carried out under Hürrem Sultan.

Move to Dolmabahçe
1856

Move to Dolmabahçe

Sultan Abdulmejid I moves the imperial court to the newly built European-style Dolmabahçe Palace. Topkapi remains the treasury and library.

Conversion to Museum
1924

Conversion to Museum

By order of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Topkapi Palace is opened to the public as a museum.

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